Connor Bedard Hopes Patrick Kane Will Return To Blackhawks
Two teams remain in the running for future Hall-of-Fame winger Patrick Kane. Now 37 years old, Kane’s next contract will likely be his last – and he hopes to spend it on a homecoming. That could be with the Buffalo Sabres, the club that Kane grew up watching from upstate New York, or it could be with the Chicago Blackhawks, where his career blossomed en route to three Stanley Cup wins. Current Blackhawks star Connor Bedard has made it clear that he is hoping for the latter. In a press scrum captured by Scott Powers of The Athletic, the freshly-signed Bedard said:
I hope so… I can’t imagine his first game back at the UC, the reaction he’d get and how much juice that would bring not only to our team but our fans as well… You talk about the legacy aspect of it, but as a team, it would make us a way better team. He’s still an amazing player.
Closing out his career in Chicago would only feel right for Kane. He became a superstar almost immediately after Chicago drafted him with the first-overall pick in 2007. Kane scored 21 goals and 72 points in his rookie year, in tandem with fellow rookie and premier playmaker Jonathan Toews. Together, the two formed one of the most complete duos in NHL history – with Kane offering sharp goal-scoring and high-finesse skills while Toews served as the setup man and two-way star. Their presence helped Chicago strongarm the Western Conference for much of the 2010s, with a dominance that peaked with Stanley Cup wins in 2010, 2013, and 2015.
Kane was a routine point-per-game scorer in that stretch, though he routinely missed 15-to-20 games each season due to injury. He played a full season in 2015-16 and made the most of his prime year, finishing second in the NHL with 46 goals and first in the league with 106 points. Kane crossed the century mark again three seasons later, netting 44 goals and 110 points in 81 games of the 2018-19 season. His pair of 100-point seasons stand as Kane’s career-years, though he crossed 70 points in 10 seasons and 80 points in six seasons.
Kane has remained a cornerstone of his team’s offense into his late-30s. He scored 41 assists and 57 points in just 67 games with the Detroit Red Wings last season. That production continued Kane’s run of strong scoring in Detroit. He has scored 163 points in 189 games with the Red Wings, or an average of 71 points per 82 games, through three seasons.
As has become well-known across the hockey world, Kane’s offense comes with major tradeoffs on defense. He has recorded 2.77 expected goals-against per 60 minutes of ice time since joining the Red Wings in 2023. That mark ranks as the 56th-worst in the NHL in that span, on a list that ends with Bedard himself. The Blackhawks don’t need to kneecap their defense any further after allowing the fifth-most goals in the NHL last season. Then again, Kane’s presence could bolster the top-six, while allowing young prospects like Anton Frondell and Roman Kantserov the chance to ease into their roles. Kane’s defensive deficiencies won’t be unfamiliar to the Blackhawks – but the value he could bring with a return to the United Center, in terms of mentorship and fan service, could outweigh the negatives in a year where the Hawks likely won’t push for playoff contention.
The Largest NHL Cap Hits Signed In The 2026 Offseason
Every year, with the NHL Salary Cap rising, articles like these will constantly highlight the growth of hockey. Players are looking to make more money, and teams are avoiding sticker shock in the moment of inking the deal.
As major free agents have put pen to paper, and some remain in play to receive their payday. Most notably, UFA’s Patrick Kane, Anthony Mantha, and Vladimir Tarasenko remain open to veteran NHL contracts, and RFAs Jason Robertson and Adam Fantilli, all need new deals too and may even join this list.
So far, we’ve seen over 200 NHL contracts signed. Today, we will examine this offseason’s largest contracts signed by analyzing which players have the largest cap hit out of the signings made in the summer of 2026. Considering players can (and have) inked extensions ahead of their status for the 2027-28 season, we’ll include those deals in as well.
1. Leo Carlsson — 5 years, $18MM AAV ($90.00MM), Anaheim Ducks
I think a lot of us expected a large sum of money to head to Carlsson’s bank account; however, I don’t think any of us saw him ending up first on this list. The former No. 2 overall pick in 2023 received a lucrative offer sheet from the Philadelphia Flyers, which the Anaheim Ducks matched. With Verbeek retaining the young Swedish phenom, it’ll be interesting when we look back on the drama from this past week, and the gamble to use 17.3% of Anaheim’s cap hit on the 21-year-old, and how it impacted the Ducks and the NHL.
2. Connor Bedard — 5 years, $15MM AAV (75.00MM), Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago had to open its checkbooks this offseason but paid less money than Anaheim did for the player taken after his No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 NHL draft. One of the NHL’s brightest young superstars and the poster boy of the next generation of Blackhawks will make less money than Carlsson despite scoring around 60 more points than him. Nonetheless, Bedard is third in the NHL among the highest-paid players and will be a free agent again just before his prime at age 26. It should make the Hawks happy that situationally, their star man is committed to the Windy City.
3. Bowen Byram — 6 years, $12.5MM AAV (75.00MM), Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks found their No. 1 defenseman, but it cost them a hefty price to do so, which included trading away the 2026 fourth-overall pick. Byram wanted to be the go-to man on the blue line for an NHL club, and this fits for Chicago. The funny way to put this is that in 2027-28, when the contract kicks in, Byram will have the same income as Connor McDavid and a higher annual paycheck than his former Sabres teammate, Rasmus Dahlin. Last season was the former No. 4 overall pick’s best season offensively, but Chicago is hoping that he’ll elevate that production with the keys to the backend.
4. Nico Hischier — 5 years, $11.7MM AAV ($58.5MM), New Jersey Devils
The Devils wanted to extend their captain this offseason, and they checked that box. The 2017 first overall pick was entering the final season of a seven-year, $50.75MM deal signed with New Jersey back in 2019. Now, the Devils will keep their 27-year-old top-line center through the 2031-32 season while giving him around an 65% salary increase. Rightfully so for one of three Devils to score over 300 points up to today (1st. Jesper Bratt, 418 points and 2nd. Jack Hughes, 407 points), that’s an integral piece to retain towards the ultimate goal.
5. Pavel Dorofeyev — 7 years, $11.0MM AAV ($77.00MM), New York Rangers
The Rangers have lost some key pieces over the course of 2026. Their retool should see a bump from Dorofeyev, who is receiving a lucrative pay raise from his former contracts that paid below $2MM AAV. New York has made him the second-highest earning rostered player for 2026-27, behind fellow countryman Igor Shesterkin. They hope that the 25-year-old Russian can build on his two 30+ goal campaigns and seamlessly fit in a new scene. Ideally, considering his deep playoff experience and elite scoring touch, he’s a huge core piece that’ll have to shine on Broadway.
6. Alex Tuch — 8 years, $10.5MM AAV ($84.00MM), Washington Capitals
It was pretty obvious that Tuch was the biggest UFA name on the market. The consideration of whether to keep the veteran forward was one of the Sabres’ biggest decisions after making the playoffs for the first time in a while. Alas, letting go of a hometown player with the contract Washington is paying is the direction the Sabres went. Tuch will make a lot of money until his age 38 season, but for a tenacious forward who’s proven to perform in previous playoff stints, he’s a key forward Washington could use.
7. Ivan Demidov — 8 years, 9.15MM AAV ($73.2MM), Montreal Canadiens
The youngest player on this list will be a Hab for a long time. The 20-year-old Russian winger won’t need another contract until 2035, and at the cap hit he signed for, GM Kent Hughes was probably ecstatic knowing he inked Demidov to this deal after the Flyers went ahead and reset the market entirely. When this contract takes effect in 2027-28, as of this writing, the former fifth-overall pick will be around the 40th-highest-paid player in the NHL. Chances are, if his sophomore season saw above 60 points in production, who knows what Demidov will produce in his prime based on that trajectory.
8. Trevor Zegras — 4 years, 9.125MM AAV ($36.5MM), Philadelphia Flyers
The former No. 9 overall pick in 2019 just became the Flyers highest paid-player this offseason, beating Travis Konecny‘s $8.75MM AAV. After filing for arbitration, the 25-year-old extends his time in Philadelphia after being traded there by the Anaheim Ducks in the summer of 2025. His 26 goals for 67 points in 81 games elevated the Flyers into a playoff position, all of which were career-high tallies in his first year in a different shade of orange. The young American star is locked down until 2030 as part of Philadelphia’s build-up into what they hope to be an extension and growth of contending with a young group for the playoffs within the East.
9. John Carlson — 2 years, 8.5MM AAV ($17.00MM), Tampa Bay Lightning
The veteran is headed to a sure playoff contender, an environment he’s been in his whole career. Carlson wanted to remain out east after being dealt to the Ducks, and given the Lightning’s unwillingness to pay Raddysh on their right side for the long term, they opted for the more sure bet of an established former Stanley Cup winner. Having J.J. Moser and Erik Cernak on the right side as well will round out one of the league’s more formidable blue lines with Carlson in the fold. Don’t forget he’s one of three 35+ aged defensemen, along with Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh.
10. Rasmus Andersson — 7 years, $8.5MM AAV ($59.5MM), Vegas Golden Knights
The Golden Knights are probably very happy bringing Andersson back into the fold, especially after dealing away two top-64 draft picks and Zach Whitecloud to Calgary at the deadline. As the top right defenseman UFA available, with Darren Raddysh signed and traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Andersson cashed in. What the Golden Knights can hope for is a bounce back from what many considered a lackluster playoff performance, registering six assists en route to a Stanley Cup Runner-up finish. Right defensemen with an offensive touch are available on the market once in a blue moon, and for a player who has provided 10+ goals and 50 points, it’s a reasonable payment until 2033.
Previously listed in Top 10:
11. Darren Raddysh — 8 years, $8.5MM AAV ($68.00MM), Toronto Maple Leafs
12. Jacob Trouba — 4 years, $8.25MM AAV ($33.00MM), San Jose Sharks
Accurate as of July 20, 10:28 AM ET, (h/t Puckpedia.com Player Dashboard: signings filtered since June 10, 2026)
Photo Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports, Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images
Blackhawks Pursued Longer-Term Deal With Bedard, Weren't Interested In Bridge
The five-year term on Connor Bedard’s new $75MM contract with Chicago raised some eyebrows as it only bought the Blackhawks one extra year of team control. Typically, in those situations, a team will prefer a shorter-term pact to give them another shot at a long-term agreement down the road. Bedard’s agent Don Meehan indicated to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times that while the team did pursue a longer-term agreement with their top player, they didn’t want to do a short-term agreement. Instead, they wanted some continuity and stability to send a signal both internally and externally, which they feel they get with this contract. Meehan also indicated that Bedard is taking an aggressive form of rehab in the hopes of getting back from his shoulder surgery before the projected four-month timeline that carries into November.
Blackhawks Re-Sign Connor Bedard
There will be no long holdout into training camp for Chicago’s top player. The team announced that they’ve re-signed restricted free agent center Connor Bedard to a five-year deal that carries an AAV of $15MM.
GM Kyle Davidson released the following statement on the signing:
Connor has continuously defied our expectations since being drafted, and has quickly established himself as an elite player in the NHL. He utilizes all aspects of his game to not only be a constant threat, but to make the players around him better every time he steps on the ice. Connor’s strong work ethic and determination to always improve his game has set an extraordinary standard for our young core, and we’re excited for the incredible impact he’ll have in this next chapter of Blackhawks hockey.
A short while later, the team over at PuckPedia revealed the year-by-year breakdown of Bedard’s new contract:
| Year | NHL Salary | Signing Bonus | Trade Protection |
| 2026-27 | $7.2MM | $9.8MM | NA |
| 2027-28 | $6.2MM | $9.8MM | NA |
| 2028-29 | $5.2MM | $9.8MM | NA |
| 2029-30 | $4.2MM | $9.8MM | NA |
| 2030-31 | $3.2MM | $9.8MM | Full NMC |
Bedard was the first overall selection by the Blackhawks back in 2023 following a stellar junior career with WHL Regina. He put up 71 goals and 72 assists in 57 games in his draft-eligible year, leading to the belief that he could become a legitimate generational superstar at the NHL level.
Over his entry-level contract, Bedard has shown some flashes of high-end offensive skill although he doesn’t have the supporting cast around him for him to really take off just yet either. The 21-year-old had 61 points in 68 games in his rookie season, earning him the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie. He followed that up with 68 points in his sophomore year while playing in all 82 games.
Last season, Bedard took another step forward. He set new career bests in goals (30), assists (45), and points (75) despite missing 13 games due to a shoulder injury and illness. That was enough for him to lead the Blackhawks in scoring for the third straight year. He also saw his playing time increase to just under 21 minutes per night as new head coach Jeff Blashill leaned on him heavily. As far as platform seasons go, it was a solid one.
Bedard may be hard-pressed to beat his point total by a significant amount this coming season. He suffered a shoulder injury earlier this month during offseason training, one that required surgery and a recovery period of four months. With the regular season now starting in September to accompany the expanded schedule, he’s likely to miss the first six weeks of the season. Depending on when he returns, he’s likely to miss 18 to 25 games as a result of the injury.
Clearly, the injury didn’t have much effect on contract discussions. The $15MM AAV makes him the third-highest-paid player in the league in that regard, behind only Minnesota winger Kirill Kaprizov and Anaheim center Leo Carlsson. Kaprizov wasn’t a direct comparable given that he was a pending unrestricted free agent but the contract handed out by Philadelphia via an offer sheet (one the Ducks matched) almost certainly played a role in discussions. Carlsson, of course, was the second overall pick in Bedard’s draft class and had a strong platform year himself. Without trying to provide enough of a poison pill to deter an offer-sheeting team from matching as the Flyers did with Carlsson, Chicago was able to get something done well below Carlsson’s $18MM price tag.
This contract covers Bedard’s four RFA-eligible seasons as well as one year of UFA eligibility. Accordingly, he will only be eligible for trade protection in the 2030-31 season.
More notably, this contract also seemingly sets the window for the Blackhawks to get themselves back into contention. Bedard is now set to become eligible to test the open market as a 26-year-old, where he should be in the prime of his career while setting himself up for a more lucrative payday at that time. If Chicago wants to keep its top player around at that time, they’ll probably need to be much further along in their competitive window than they were over Bedard’s first three professional campaigns. But that’s a concern for GM Kyle Davidson for another day. For today, he can be happy about having his franchise player locked up for the next half-decade.
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.
Patrick Kane Between Sabres And Blackhawks As Free Agent Destinations
According to The Fourth Period, Patrick Kane might not re-sign with the Detroit Red Wings, but could find other homes to potentially return to.
The American veteran is now 37 years old, but hasn’t shown many signs of slowing down in terms of NHL production. 57 points in 67 games for the Red Wings last season tallied a $53k cost-per-point on Detroit’s 2025-26 cap hits as he was signed on a one-year deal at $3MM AAV. Detroit could still bring him back, with $19MM in cap space, it’s definitely possible to fit him into their books, but does Kane want to with the front office change currently in progress with the Dylan Larkin saga ongoing?
Further to this, Chris Chelios, who appeared on 104.3 The Score, said in speaking to Kane directly, that a return to the Chicago Blackhawks is potentially in the mix, as well as signing with the Buffalo Sabres, who are linked to acquire the former first-overall pick from 2007.
Let’s go through both teams and how they could benefit from adding Kane to their forward group, and why he’d want to go to either team.
End of Beginning: The Chicago Blackhawks
Kane could return to the team he’s won almost everything in his hockey career with. A three-time Stanley Cup Champion in 2010, 2013, and 2015, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2013. He was also a nine-time all-star, along with accolades like a Calder Memorial Trophy win in 2008, an Art Ross Trophy, Hart Memorial Trophy, and Ted Lindsay Award in 2016.
Bringing back Kane would be the ultimate legendary reunion as the Blackhawks continue to build into their next era. Kane, who was dealt to the Rangers in 2023, never got to play a game with the 2023 first-overall pick, Connor Bedard. Chicago still has a few RFA’s to re-sign, including Bedard. Kane would be a helpful veteran addition in a familiar setting, but now in a youthful locker room that has only one other 35+ player in the room, defenseman Ian Cole.
Chicago loves their American legend, and it would be a great farewell tour for a team that can well afford him. The Blackhawks have $29MM in cap space, and with Connor Bedard’s contract in need of renewal, they are more than able to join those two together for a passing of the torch scenario.
Back home: The Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres lost a hometown kid in Alex Tuch to the Capitals, who was the key return in the Jack Eichel trade a few years ago. Perhaps they could supplement that loss with another veteran forward who grew up cheering for Buffalo? Kane hasn’t played hockey in Buffalo since 2003, with the Saints 14U AAA club. After a long professional hockey career, it feels very fitting to see this scenario play out where Kane ends it where it all began.
The Sabres are trying to remain competitive after making the playoffs for the first time in 14 years. Adding a player like Patrick Kane, who’s been there, done that, to a younger group that was on the cusp of an Eastern Conference Final could be exactly what they need within their forward group. The Sabres have addressed nearly every box in need of checking on their offseason list, most recently extending forward Peyton Krebs.
Now with just $5MM in cap space, they could squeeze Kane into their lineup, and he’d be a much-welcome addition. He’s made the playoffs once in the past four seasons (back with the Rangers in 2022-23, a first-round loss to New Jersey). Perhaps after failing to get to the dance with Detroit, he can help his childhood team, which ideally is a better playoff bet than Chicago, to make a Stanley Cup push in his latter career years.
Photo Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports, Bill Wippert-Buffalo Sabres
Connor Bedard Out Four Months After Surgery
The Chicago Blackhawks will be without their best player to open the 2026-27 campaign. According to a team announcement, forward Connor Bedard is expected to miss four months following successful surgery on his left shoulder. Near the beginning of the offseason, Bedard suffered the injury during a freak accident in training.
Given the approximate recovery timeline provided by the Blackhawks, that puts Bedard’s return in mid-November. It’s worth mentioning that the NHL will have an 84-game regular season starting next year, which means Bedard will miss more games than he would have if the season had started later.
Chicago knows all too well what the loss of Bedard will bring. Through the first 31 games of the 2025-26 campaign, although they weren’t incredibly competitive, the Blackhawks had put together a respectable 13-12-6 record. The reason that 31 games is such an important cut-off is that Bedard was injured in their December 12th matchup, their 31st game of the season.
In that situation, Bedard suffered another freak injury in the faceoff dot against Brayden Schenn, then with the St. Louis Blues. It was an injury to the other shoulder and cost Bedard four weeks of his 2025-26 season. Chicago ended December with a 1-6-1 record without Bedard, losing all their momentum.
Assuming he remains healthy after returning from surgery, Bedard will likely fail to clear the 70-game played threshold for a third time. Despite playing in all 82 games his sophomore year, Bedard finished with 68 in his rookie season and 69 last year due to injuries.
Now, without their best point producer to begin the 2026-27 season, Bedard’s injury likely means that Frank Nazar will move to the team’s top line. Additionally, the Blackhawks do have youngster Anton Frondell, who will likely slot in down the middle of the team’s second line.
Frondell had a great showing toward the end of the 2025-26 campaign, but that’s still a lot of responsibility to put on a young center, especially if Chicago is looking to have a Sharks-style return to competitiveness this season. Regardless, the Blackhawks have some clarity on Bedard’s injury and timeline, and they can now look to iron out the rest of their opening night roster during training camp.
Blackhawks Sign Drew Commesso To Two-Year Extension
The Chicago Blackhawks have signed goalie Drew Commesso to a two-year contract extension. Per an official announcement, the deal carries a $875K cap hit.
PuckPedia reported that the contract contains a two-way structure in its first year (2026-27) and a one-way structure in its second year. In year one of the deal, Commesso will earn a $200K AHL salary and $250K guarantee, with a $850K NHL salary. In year two, Commesso will earn $900K regardless of what level he plays at.
The 23-year-old is a 2020 second-round pick who appears to be knocking on the door of full-time NHL duty. He has spent the last three seasons as the No. 1 goalie for the Rockford IceHogs. Across 114 AHL games played, Commesso posted a .906 save percentage. While his numbers declined between 2024-25 (.911 save percentage in 39 games) and 2025-26 (.901 save percentage in 37 games), he did post the best NHL results of his career, going 2-1-0 in three starts with a .918 save percentage.
At this stage of the offseason, it appears likely Commesso will spend another season as Chicago’s organizational No. 3 goalie. Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom are both under contract for next season and figure to occupy the two goalie roster spots. Commesso will compete with Soderblom for the Blackhawks’ backup role, but given the level of investment the organization has made in the 26-year-old Swede (Soderblom’s salary for next season is $2.5MM) it would be somewhat surprising to see him land in the AHL.
Instead, it seems more likely that Commesso will stick as the organization’s third goalie next season, and if he can string together some positive performances, he can line himself up to be Knight’s backup for 2027-28, when his deal shifts to a one-way structure.
As Commesso looks to climb the depth chart in Chicago, there are other goaltending prospects that are vying to occupy his role as the team’s go-to call up. 2023 second-rounder Adam Gajan is fresh off a solid season starting at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, and figures to receive a decent share of the available starts in Rockford. He got into one AHL game in the spring and saved 36 of 39 shots. Also under contract and set for Rockford is 23-year-old undrafted Russian netminder Stanislav Berezhnoy. He went 5-10-1 in 16 games as the No. 2 goalie in Rockford last season.
Commesso, along with those other two prospects, will form the trio that occupies the crease in Rockford next season. With a new contract in hand, Commesso will hope to take a step forward and push for an NHL backup role, but the more likely immediate outcome is another campaign spent as the team’s No. 3.
Connor Bedard Suffers Upper-Body Injury In Offseason Training
Blackhawks center Connor Bedard is currently a restricted free agent and now has some bad news to contend with. It’s nothing to do with the contract front, but rather with an injury. As first reported by Blackhawks Up’s Ryan McGregor (Twitter link), Bedard sustained an apparent shoulder injury during offseason training earlier this week.
Notably, the injury appears to be to his left arm. Last season, Bedard sustained a right-shoulder injury, one that kept him out of the lineup for a dozen games and was very limited in taking faceoffs for a while after returning. At a minimum, at least this is not a recurrence of that injury.
A team spokesperson told Mark Lazerus and Scott Powers of The Athletic that there are no definitive updates on the injury as of yet. There isn’t expected to be any official word on the extent of the injury until at least Monday.
Despite the extended absence last season, the 21-year-old put up his best offensive performance in 2025-26. Bedard had 30 goals and 45 assists in 69 games played, setting new benchmarks in both offensive categories while winning the team’s scoring race by 17 points.
Of course, it’s widely expected that the 2023 first overall selection has another level or two to get to from an offensive standpoint. Those expectations will be factored into his next contract, one that is expected to be one of the richest post-entry-level deals in league history. AFP Analytics projected an eight-year deal would come in a little under $12.5MM per season while Friday’s offer sheet to Leo Carlsson, picked one spot behind Bedard in the draft, could ultimately move the goalposts on Bedard’s next agreement.
Assuming this isn’t a long-term injury that will keep him out of the lineup for a significant portion of next season, this injury shouldn’t have much bearing on those contract talks. But any sort of extended period of being unable to do on-ice work certainly isn’t ideal for Bedard or the Blackhawks as they look to emerge from their long rebuild and make a push to try to get back into the playoff picture next season.
Blackhawks Sign Bowen Byram To Six-Year Extension
1:53 p.m.: The Blackhawks have made Byram’s six-year, $75MM extension official.
7:40 a.m.: Given that the Chicago Blackhawks parted with the fourth and 45th overall picks of the 2026 NHL Draft, along with defenseman Louis Crevier, it immediately became a priority to sign Bowen Byram to a long-term extension as soon as they could. Yesterday evening, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that the expectation was that the Blackhawks and Byram would agree on a contract extension as soon as today for an AAV of more than $10MM.
We now have more specifics on what that extension agreement will look like. According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, Byram is expected to sign a six-year, $75MM ($12.5MM AAV) extension with the Blackhawks today. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun quickly confirmed the news.
Once pen is put to paper, Byram’s salary with Chicago, beginning in the 2027-28 season, will become the highest salary the franchise has ever awarded. Byram’s expected $12.5MM salary is $2MM more than what Chicago signed Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews for back in 2014. However, for the sake of comparison, Kane and Toews each accounted for 14.7% of the salary cap in the first year of their deals, whereas Byram will only account for approximately 11%.
Furthermore, the contract is fairly similar to the one Seth Jones signed with the Blackhawks in 2021. On the day they acquired him from the Columbus Blue Jackets, Chicago signed Jones to an eight-year, $76MM contract.
It’s a hefty extension, no doubt, but it could look good for the Blackhawks. Throughout the last two years with the Buffalo Sabres, Byram has registered 18 goals and 80 points in 164 games played with a +26 rating, averaging 22:31 of ice time per game. In both years, he would have been the highest-scoring defenseman with Chicago, and that’s while playing second- and even third-fiddle with the Sabres. Now, being the undisputed top option with the Blackhawks, Byram will have access to much more playing time at even strength and on the powerplay.
Although he has shown flashes of solid two-way play with the Sabres, Byram is more offensive-minded by nature. He had some deficiencies on the defensive side of the puck with the Sabres, but he should help the Blackhawks with their possession metrics at the very least.
Regardless, Byram will impressively double his salary on his new deal with the Blackhawks. Still only 25 years old, Byram will be eligible for unrestricted free agency after the 2032-33 campaign at 32 years old. Once his new extension with Chicago is signed, the Blackhawks will have another hefty extension to work out with franchise center Connor Bedard.
Photo courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig of Imagn Images.
Blackhawks Sign Ian Cole To A One-Year Deal
According to Sportnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Chicago Blackhawks have signed defenseman Ian Cole to a one-year, $4.75MM contract.
The deal brings in a veteran, two-time Stanley Cup champion to Chicago’s blue line as the rebuilding Blackhawks continue adding experience around their young core. Cole, 37, won back-to-back titles with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017 and has built a 15-year career as a dependable shutdown defenseman.
Cole is coming off a durable season with the Utah Mammoth, appearing in all 82 games in 2025-26 while posting three goals and 20 assists, his highest point total since 2019-20, along with a plus-16 rating and a blocked-shot workload that ranked among the league’s heaviest. He enters next season 10 games shy of 1,000 for his NHL career.
A first-round pick (18th overall) by St. Louis in 2007, Cole has since suited up for a long list of clubs, with Chicago set to become his 10th NHL franchise. The Michigan native brings a physical, defensively oriented game and penalty-killing ability.
For the Blackhawks, he profiles as a stabilizing veteran who can log meaningful minutes and help mentor a young defense corps on a one-year term.