Summer Synopsis: Chicago Blackhawks

With the regular season now upon us, the bulk of the heavy lifting has been done from a roster perspective.  Most unrestricted free agents have found new homes, the arbitration period has come and gone, and the trade market has cooled.  Accordingly, it’s a good time to take a look at what each team accomplished over the offseason.  Next up is a look at the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Blackhawks rebuild continues to chug along with Connor Bedard leading the charge. At this point, the Blackhawks’ deep prospect pool hasn’t yielded much NHL success, but given the depth of the system, it’s not unrealistic to think that upwards of 12-15 of their current prospects become NHL players in the next couple of years. That won’t do much for their fortunes this season, as the team may not be ready to compete for a playoff spot just yet, but make no mistake, they are trending in the right direction.

Draft

1-3 – F Anton Frondell, Djurgårdens IF J20 (J20 Nationell)
1-25 – RW Václav Nestrašil, Muskegon (USHL)
1-29 – F Mason West, Fargo (USHL)
3-66 – F Nathan Behm, Kamloops (WHL)
4-98 – C Julius Sumpf, Moncton (QMJHL)
4-107 – LW Parker Holmes, Brantford (OHL) 
6-162 – D Ashton Cumby, Seattle (WHL)
7-194 – G Ilya Kanarsky, AKM Tula (MHL)

The Blackhawks made a total of eight draft picks this offseason, three of which came in the first round. Frondell was the third overall pick and projects as a top-line player with a floor of being a second liner. He is an explosive skater with an excellent shot and terrific offensive instincts. He has the build of a power forward, and while this is undoubtedly an advantage, it can slow him down when he is trying to get back to the defensive zone to defend the transition game. There are also concerns about his agility, which might affect his ability to defend.

Nestrašil was the Blackhawks’ second first-round pick and also projects as a potential power forward with a tremendous reach. Despite his size and reach, he can work effectively around the net and has soft hands, using them to create chances for himself and his teammates. He projects as a power winger and likely a second-line scorer who will need development to reach his full potential, particularly with his skating, which requires improvement in acceleration and agility. At the very least, he should be an NHL player given his skill set at this stage of his career.

With their final third first-round pick, the Blackhawks pick another potential power forward in West, who moves very well for a big man and has an exceptional skating stride. He has a fantastic shot and sees the ice exceptionally well. His ability to create open looks for his teammates should translate well to the NHL, particularly if he is paired up with scorers. While he has a lot of upside and could be a massive steal if he fully develops, he is seen as somewhat of a project, as his consistency and puck handling have some question marks.

Behm was a third-round selection and is also a forward on the bigger side. He, too, can get around the ice effectively but is more of a pure shooter. He could be a solid value pick in the middle of the draft if he can get better at playing a two-way game. His work away from the puck leaves a lot to be desired and could be what prevents him from becoming a complete player. There is a small contingent of scouts who see Behm as more of an offensive specialist rather than a two-way forward, which means he will need to display consistency in the scoring department to justify his regular spot in an NHL lineup. Niche offensive players can find roles in the NHL and certainly have significant value. Victor Olofsson of the Colorado Avalanche is a good example of that; however, when they go cold, it is pronounced and can be problematic.

Trade Acquisitions

LW Andre Burakovsky (from Seattle)
F Sam Lafferty (from Buffalo)
D Ryan Mast (from Boston)

The Blackhawks added some pace to their lineup by reacquiring Lafferty from the Sabres. The 30-year-old was signed as a free agent last summer by Buffalo, but he scored just four goals and three assists in 60 games during a disappointing season. The seven-year pro has never been much of an offensive producer, but he is a reliable fourth-line player who plays with energy, hits, and can kill penalties. Lafferty has often shown glimpses of being more of an impact player, but has never been able to break through and become a consistent contributor.

Chicago also acquired Burakovsky from the Kraken in exchange for Joe Veleno. The deal brought an underperforming forward to the Blackhawks, but one with a strong track record of scoring. The two-time Stanley Cup champion hasn’t lived up to his $5.5MM cap hit on the free agent contract he signed back in 2022, but he remains an effective player who should carve out a role in Chicago and generate points.

UFA Signings

C Ryan Donato (four years, $16MM)
D Matt Grzelcyk (one year, $1MM)
C Dominic Toninato (two years, $1.7MM)*

*-denotes two-way contract
^-denotes re-signing

The Blackhawks didn’t do much business in the free agent market this offseason, but they secured a key player before he could hit the market by signing Donato. The 29-year-old chose to stay in Chicago, passing up what could have been a more lucrative opportunity on the open market. However, considering the market’s unpredictability, Donato probably made the right decision by playing it safe and accepting a guaranteed payday. He doubled his most productive season, tallying 62 points in 80 games last year (31 goals and 31 assists), and even if he reverts to his career norms around 30-35 points, the contract wouldn’t be an overpay. Nonetheless, if he produces 50-60 points annually in the coming years, the $4MM AAV will be an absolute bargain.

Now, speaking of the market’s unpredictability, we have Grzelcyk, who was expected to get a multi-year contract this summer that would top $3MM per season. He didn’t come close to that figure, instead signing a PTO with Chicago before converting it to a one-year deal. It was a surprising outcome for a player who had a career-high in points last season and seemed destined for a decent-sized payday. His size and defensive play likely contributed to the lack of a market for his services, and Chicago was more than happy to step in and scoop him up at a bargain.

RFA Re-Signings

D Louis Crevier (two years, $1.8MM)
D Wyatt Kaiser (two years, $3.4MM)
G Spencer Knight (three years, $17,499,999)
F Frank Nazar (seven years, $46,199,937)
G Arvid Soderblom (two years, $5.5MM)

*-denotes two-way contract

The Blackhawks chose to lock in a couple of players early, including Nazar and Knight. The Nazar contract was a risk, considering the 21-year-old had only played 56 NHL games before signing and hadn’t been a prolific scorer. Picked 13th overall in 2022, Nazar had a solid first full NHL season, posting 12 goals and 14 assists in 53 games. Although some of his underlying stats weren’t ideal, it was enough to persuade the Blackhawks to sign him long-term. There is significant risk on the Chicago side with this deal, but if he develops as they hope, it could be a massive win for the Blackhawks, especially with a rising salary cap.

Knight was also a 13th overall pick, and like Nazar, the Blackhawks re-signed him before he reached restricted free agency. The 24-year-old faced some setbacks early in his career but settled in last year after a midseason trade to Chicago and has been hot to start this year. Knight has good size and all the tools to be a star NHL netminder, and the Blackhawks are hopeful that the same is true so that they can see value in his three-year extension.

Departures

F Andreas Athanasiou (remains unsigned)
F Cole Guttman (signed with Los Angeles, two years, $1.55MM)*
F Philipp Kurashev (signed with San Jose, one year, $1.2MM)
F Pat Maroon (retired)
D Alec Martinez (retired)
F Aku Raty (signed in Finland)
LW Zach Sanford (signed in Switzerland)

*-denotes two-way contract

The Blackhawks didn’t add much this summer, but they didn’t really suffer many losses either, and most of the players who left will be replaced by young prospects moving up to the NHL. Maroon’s retirement was somewhat unexpected at the time. Still, his last two seasons showed a significant decline in his overall performance, so it wasn’t surprising that he decided to hang up his skates. He was a solid pro for many years, often taking well below market value to stay in advantageous positions, especially with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The sacrifice paid off, though; he won three Stanley Cups and leaves behind a career to be proud of. In the NHL, Chicago will miss his veteran leadership and the physicality he brought to the bottom of the lineup.

Martinez was another three-time Stanley Cup champion who retired at the end of last season. It wasn’t all that surprising, considering he was 37 at the time and had struggled to stay healthy in the later stages of his career. Martinez didn’t play an easy game, blocking numerous shots, killing penalties, and taking on complex defensive assignments throughout his career. He had a knack for playing alongside really good defensemen, finding chemistry with Alex Pietrangelo and Shea Theodore in Vegas, which might seem straightforward, but playing with offensively skilled defensemen can be pretty challenging due to the many odd-man situations that arise. Martinez had a terrific NHL career and left a veteran void in the Blackhawks dressing room similar to Maroon’s, but he didn’t leave much of a defensive void thanks to his level of play towards the end of his career.

Athanasiou, Raty, and Sanford weren’t significant losses to the Blackhawks’ depth since none of them managed to secure NHL jobs or stay in North America. Athanasiou remains unsigned, and there isn’t much news on him, so his future is unclear. However, he hasn’t looked like an NHL player for quite some time. Given the current NHL landscape and teams’ preference for developing younger players, Athanasiou might need to look overseas to continue his playing career.

Kurashev’s meteoric rise and fall were compelling to watch in Chicago, as the Blackhawks chose not to tender him, leading to his move to the Sharks. After scoring 54 points in 2023-24, his numbers plummeted last season, tallying just 14 points in 51 games. His underlying stats have never been impressive, and when he isn’t scoring on the rush or drawing penalties, his game is somewhat limited, which is why Chicago was comfortable moving on. Depending on his role, Kurashev could rise again, but his 54-point season now seems like an outlier—possibly the exception, as he hasn’t been a great fit in San Jose so far this season.

Salary Cap Outlook

The Blackhawks have just over $17.3MM in available cap space (as per PuckPedia), giving them the flexibility to make moves during the season if they choose to add or subtract from their roster as their season unfolds. The figure moves north of $71MM at the NHL Trade Deadline, which would be a remarkable sum if Chicago decided to go on a buying spree. Even if they don’t, that cap space could be used to take on bad contracts if other teams are eager to offload salary, potentially allowing Chicago to acquire more assets.

Key Questions

What will Connor Bedard’s contract extension look like?

Bedard’s contract talks will be interesting to follow. Many fans expected he would sign an extension this past summer, but nothing materialized. There are a few reasons why Bedard hasn’t signed yet; the most likely is that he and the team are weighing their options before finalizing an agreement. Bedard might be waiting to see the team’s direction and what he would be playing with in the long term, while the Blackhawks could be assessing their comfort level with terms and dollars. It’s challenging to know what both sides are thinking, but the deal will eventually be completed.

Will any young players step up?

As mentioned above, Chicago has an excellent prospect pipeline, but most of their key pieces have yet to reach the NHL. Make no mistake, reinforcements are coming to the Windy City, but the question is whether they will make that trip this season. Bedard and Nazar are already NHL players, supported by defensemen Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel, both of whom are former first-round picks, with Levshunov being the second overall in 2024. Oliver Moore is another player making the jump, but the question remains: Who else is coming this year?

How will Knight perform full-time?

Knight’s talent is clear to anyone who watches him or evaluates his numbers. The skill is there, so the question becomes, how will he perform as a full-time NHL starter? Knight seems ready to seize the opportunity, and with a new extension signed, the Blackhawks are betting that he is prepared as well. Goaltending has been a concern in Chicago for some time, and they’ve had a revolving door of goalies for a decade. Knight securing the position and holding it would go a long way toward helping Chicago become a contender again.

Photo by Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images