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The Chicago Blackhawks came agonizingly close to making Friday night one of the biggest offseason days in franchise history when they nearly acquired the No. 4 pick and Ivan Demidov in addition to No. 2 pick Artyom Levshunov. It was a big move by general manager Kyle Davidson to offer Columbus next year’s unprotected first-round pick and a second-round pick, but the deal never materialized.

Now the question is, will the Blackhawks make similarly big moves in free agency? Well, they could. They’re open to it. They’ll try. But with Tampa Bay acquiring the rights to Jake Guentzel, Toronto acquiring the rights to Chris Tanev, Sam Reinhart reportedly close to a contract extension in Florida, Matt Duchene close to signing in Dallas, and Nashville apparently eyeing Steven Stamkos, it won’t be easy — especially considering Davidson wants to keep all veteran contracts in the short-term.

“That’s something we want to explore,” Davidson said. “Once you get into that space, it’s more money, longer terms, bigger commitments. So we have to make sure it makes sense. Do we want to add more offensive power? Yes, we would. But it has to make sense. It has to fit.”

Looking at Chris Johnston’s free agent list, you can find some interesting forwards that could immediately improve the Blackhawks’ top six. Perhaps someone like 33-year-old Jonathan Marchessault, who set a career high with 42 goals, would be willing to come to Chicago for two or three years at a top price. Jeff Skinner, recently acquired from Buffalo, is a proven scorer but a black hole on defense. Jake DeBrusk could be looking for a bigger role than he had in Boston, and Chicago could be an interesting addition.

Perhaps a more likely option would be a second-choice option, such as Teuvo Teravainen, a former Blackhawks first-round pick and 2015 Stanley Cup winner who plays a reliable two-way game and can be a good substitute for Connor Bedard.

GO DEEPER

NHL Free-Agent Big Board: The latest on all the top targets before July 1

We should know shortly after 11 a.m. Central time on Monday when free agency begins. It usually doesn’t take long for the big names to come off the board.

The Blackhawks’ internal picture regarding free agents is also becoming clearer. Here’s a look at Chicago’s free agents and their status:

• The Blackhawks recently acquired Sam Lafferty from the Vancouver Canucks in hopes of re-signing him before he hits the open market on Monday. According to a league source, Lafferty had a great previous experience with the Blackhawks and was open to a return to Chicago, but after extensive discussions with Blackhawks management and an assessment of his own future, Lafferty has decided to become an unrestricted free agent on Monday.

• Taylor Raddysh was hoping for at least a qualifying offer and a chance to prove that the 20-goal season he had two seasons ago was the real Raddysh, and not the five-goal season last season. But he is not expected to receive a qualifying offer and will become a UFA.

• Joey Anderson was one of the Blackhawks’ strongest forwards last season but is not receiving a qualifying offer. However, the Blackhawks still hope to re-sign him.

• Reese Johnson and MacKenzie Entwistle, both of whom have been on the roster since the first aborted rebuild in 2021, will not receive qualifying offers and will become UFAs.

• Rockford goalkeeper Jaxson Stauber, forward Michal Teply and defenseman Filip Roos will also not receive qualifying offers.

• The most promising defenders Isaak Phillips and Louis Crevier receive corresponding offers.

(Photo by Joey Anderson: Len Redkoles / NHLI via Getty Images)