The Chicago Blackhawks added depth in NHL Free Agency this summer. One interesting name they added was veteran forward Pat Maroon. Maroon is an incredibly experienced forward and a proven winner. The St. Louis, Missouri native won three Stanley Cups in three straight years from 2019-2021.
These days, Maroon is a depth option who provides a lot of grit down the lineup. Assuming he makes Chicago's roster, the 36-year-old is gearing up to play for his eighth NHL team. Maroon has also played for the Anaheim Ducks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues, and Boston Bruins.
At 36 years old, Maroon is entering the final stages of his playing career. However, he is not thinking about the future beyond the upcoming 2024-25 campaign. He spoke about his mindset with Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times recently.
“I’m actually just going to focus on this year, see what happens and go from there,” the Blackhawks forward said, via Pope. “I feel really good body-wise, very lean right now. I’m looking forward to coming in, working hard and competing.”
Pat Maroon is one of a few new Blackhawks veterans
The Blackhawks set out to add more talent this offseason. Pat Maroon is one of a few new faces in Chicago that signed this summer. Most notably, the Blackhawks brought back Teuvo Teravainen while also signing Tyler Bertuzzi.
Chicago's spending spree certainly helps the team improve on paper. This is important given the current state of their rebuild. Connor Bedard leads a young core currently consisting of Alex Vlasic, Kevin Korchinski, and Philipp Kurashev. These new veteran voices help both on the ice and off it as well.
“Everyone coming in, playing the right way, pulling on the same rope and sticking up for each other builds a special bond in the room that translates on the ice,” Maroon told Pope. “[There are] a lot of good players they signed and a lot of good veteran players that have won before, so there’s a lot of voices of reason around the room where people can ask questions.”
Few forwards are locked into a roster spot. Kurashev, Bedard, Bertuzzi, and Tervainen are certainly guaranteed a spot. Additionally, veterans Nick Foligno and Jason Dickinson are likely to play a big role. Down the lineup, though, there are spots up for grabs. And Maroon seems ready to compete for a regular spot as training camp draws near.
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