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West Notes: Huberdeau, Pelletier, Blackhawks

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Jonathan Huberdeau’s tenure with the Flames has been wildly underwhelming, to say the least. The 31-year-old winger has been limited to 27 goals and 107 points in 160 games – decidedly fringe top-six production – since being acquired from the Panthers and signing an eight-year, $84MM extension.

The former Calder winner and once-elite playmaking winger is hoping a new offseason training regimen can help spur a rebound this season, he tells Aaron Vickers of NHL.com. “[I’m] really happy with the summer that I had,” he said. “It’s probably my best summer of training that I’ve had. I just have to translate that onto the ice. I skated more in the summer as well, so I feel better.”

“The confidence is back,” he continued. “I just have to relay that to here with the guys. And I think this year I want to bring fun to my game. That’s what we need to be. I think we’ve just got to make it fun as a team. You never know. We can cause some surprises.”

A resurgence in production will be difficult with a depleted Flames roster amid an aggressive retool, influenced in large part by Huberdeau’s struggles the past two seasons. He’ll likely be centered by Nazem Kadri, whose more palatable $7MM cap hit and strong showing in 2023-24 has made him the subject of trade rumors this summer, to begin the year.

Other notes out of the Western Conference:

  • The Flames have made some progress on a new deal for restricted free agent winger Jakob Pelletier, general manager Craig Conroy said today (via Danny Austin of the Calgary Sun). A report from TSN’s Salim Nadim Valji last week indicated there was still significant legwork to be done to reach an agreement, but Conroy is fully confident they’ll get a deal done before training camp begins next week. The 2019 first-rounder had shoulder surgery just before the beginning of last season, delaying his season debut until late January. He logged a goal and three points in 13 NHL games with the Flames and 12 points in 18 games with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers.
  • The Blackhawks are amid the league’s most successful ongoing rebuild, opines Corey Pronman of The Athletic. They’re the most likely out of the league’s current bottom-feeders to be quality contenders with their current core of prospects and youngsters amassed, he says, also citing their ability to become a premier free-agent destination when they’re a bit closer to returning to playoff contention.

Blackhawks Notes: Nazar, Levshunov, Hall

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Blackhawks forward prospect Frank Nazar knows what he needs to do in training camp to lock down a roster spot and keep it through his rookie season. The 20-year-old spoke recently to Scott Powers of The Athletic, who detailed the 2022 first-round pick’s chances of sticking with the big club in his first professional season.

“Definitely just the pace of the play, being able to keep up with all those guys for 82 games a year and not just the last three and then just being able to make plays really quickly under pressure and be able to get good at those things, and I think I’d be in a good spot,” Nazar said. “That’s how it’s been my whole life is earning where I got, and it’s just another time where I got to earn my spot on a team and show guys I deserve to be there and just put in all that work, and I know everything’s going to work out.”

The diminutive Detroit-born forward was a force for the University of Michigan last season, recording 41 points in 41 games after an injury limited him to 13 appearances in his freshman campaign. Checking in at 5’9″ and 174 lbs, Nazar recorded eight points in seven games to help guide the USA to a gold medal at this year’s World Junior Championship. He scored a goal in three appearances with the Blackhawks to end last season after his campaign at Michigan drew to a close.

There’s more from Chicagoland:

  • The consensus opinion is that 2024 second-overall pick Artyom Levshunov will likely start this season with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. NHL.com’s Dan Rosen concurred with that sentiment in a mailbag article today but thinks the Blackhawks will at least leave the door open for Levshunov to land a nine-game trial with an exceptionally strong training camp. There’s no reason to rush Levshunov into NHL minutes after just one collegiate season at Michigan State, especially after the team added T.J. Brodie and Alec Martinez to its blue line in free agency.
  • Rosen also lists winger Taylor Hall as one of the top bounce-back candidates to watch this season. The trade acquisition from the Bruins had just four points in 10 games last season before an ACL tear ended his season. But unlike last year, when he was virtually guaranteed playing time alongside rookie phenom Connor Bedard, he’ll now have to fight UFA signings Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teräväinen for top-line minutes.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Chicago Blackhawks

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the most important tasks for a front office.  Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t often see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2024-25 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of PuckPedia.  We begin with a look at the Central Division, starting with Chicago.

Chicago Blackhawks

Current Cap Hit: $81,322,500 (under the $88MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Connor Bedard (two years, $950K)
D Kevin Korchinski (two years, $918.3K)
F Frank Nazar (two years, $950K)

Potential Bonuses
Bedard: $3.5MM
Korchinski: $1MM
Nazar: $900K
Total: $5.4MM

Expectations were quite high for Bedard, the 2023 top pick, heading into his rookie year.  He was given every opportunity to play a prominent role and be the go-to threat on the power play.  He was a bit overmatched at times defensively but acquitted himself quite well, showing that he could be the next generational talent as he has been hyped up to be.  At a minimum, he should be able to hit the $1MM in ‘A’ bonuses but he’d need to be among the league’s top scorers to have a shot at the rest of them.  When it comes to his next contract, if he lives up to expectations, Connor McDavid’s eight-year, $100MM agreement could very well be the comparable.

Korchinski also had some defensive struggles but logged consistent top-four minutes as a junior-aged blueliner which is something that doesn’t occur very often.  On a team that should be at least a bit more competitive this coming season, he should be able to put up some improved offensive numbers, giving him a chance at pushing for his four ‘A’ bonuses as well.  If that part of his game comes around, he could be in line for a significant second contract of his own, one that could push past the $6MM mark (potentially more depending on the numbers).  Nazar is somewhat of a wild card as he could be deployed in Chicago’s top six or they could opt to start him in the minors and bring him up midseason.  If it’s the latter, it’d be unlikely that he’d land a long-term second contract since he already burned the first year of his deal last season.

Signed Through 2024-25, Non-Entry-Level

F Andreas Athanasiou ($4.25MM, UFA)
F Ryan Donato ($2MM, UFA)
F Taylor Hall ($6MM, UFA)
F Philipp Kurashev ($2.25MM, RFA)
F Pat Maroon ($1.3MM, UFA)
D Alec Martinez ($4MM, UFA)
D Isaak Phillips ($775K, RFA)
F Craig Smith ($1MM, UFA)

Chicago’s big acquisition last summer on the trade front was Hall, a capable top-six forward, to help give Bedard some support.  He only played in ten games before undergoing season-ending knee surgery.  He’ll need a big bounce-back year if he wants a chance at a contract that’s close to this price point.  Athanasiou’s contract seemed pricey at the time he was signed but Chicago was paying an above-market rate to keep a veteran they liked.  With several youngsters getting development time in Rockford, Athanasiou may not get another one of those deals and if that winds up being the case, he hasn’t had great success on the open market before so he could be in for a pay cut as well.

Kurashev had a breakout performance last season, more than doubling his previous career high in points, picking up 54 while spending a lot of time on the top line.  While that might not be the permanent landing spot for him based on how their prospects develop, he has positioned himself for a sizable raise on his $2.25MM qualifying offer with arbitration rights.  Another 50-point performance could push him into $5MM territory.  Donato put up similar numbers to his two seasons in Seattle but is another player who hasn’t had great success in free agency before.  A similar showing in 2024-25 might not be enough to land a raise with teams trying to spend a bit less in their top six.  Maroon and Smith came in this summer to shore up Chicago’s depth; both players will be going year-to-year in all likelihood from here on out on contracts that are likely to stay around their current respective price points.

Martinez was another veteran signing designed to make the team more competitive now and keep some prospects with the IceHogs to help their development.  He’s not the core player he was a few years ago and this felt like another short-term overpayment.  If he plays in a fourth or fifth role this season, he’ll be hard-pressed to get this much next summer.  Phillips is on a two-way deal but is now waiver-eligible.  That might be enough to keep him on the roster in a seventh role as there’s no guarantee he’d pass through unclaimed.  He’ll need to carve out some regular playing time if he wants to get to a seven-figure one-way salary.

Signed Through 2025-26

F Joey Anderson ($800K, UFA)
D T.J. Brodie ($3.75MM, UFA)
G Laurent Brossoit ($3.3MM, UFA)
F Jason Dickinson ($4.25MM, UFA)
F Nick Foligno ($4.5MM, UFA)
F Ilya Mikheyev ($4.0375MM, UFA)*
G Petr Mrazek ($4.25MM, UFA)
D Connor Murphy ($4.4MM, UFA)
F Lukas Reichel ($1.2MM, RFA)

*-Vancouver is retaining an additional $712.5K on Mikheyev’s deal.

Foligno was also acquired from Boston last summer and quickly signed an above-market one-year deal.  Things went well enough that he received an above-market two-year extension which starts in 2024-25.  Foligno is miscast as a full-time top-six player but remains an effective veteran.  That said, it’s hard to picture recent history repeating itself on his next deal.  Dickinson’s contract also feels like an overpayment but he is coming off a 22-goal campaign; if he can stay in that range, they’ll at least get a decent return out of it while the 29-year-old could have a shot at a similar price tag for more term on his next deal.

Mikheyev was acquired as a cap dump from Vancouver after a particularly rough season in 2023-24.  When he’s on, he’s an effective second-line winger but if his offensive struggles continue in 2024-25, he becomes a buyout candidate next summer.  Reichel quickly opted for a bridge contract back in May.  He’ll be owed a $1.3MM qualifying offer with arbitration rights in 2026 and if he’s able to secure even a full-time middle-six spot, he could have a shot at doubling that or more.  Anderson was non-tendered in June to avoid giving him arbitration rights but quickly re-signed this contract, one which gives him a one-way salary for only the second (and third) time of his career.  He’s a low-cost depth piece and with Chicago’s youngsters eventually getting more expensive, the Blackhawks will need to keep this roster spot around that price tag whether it’s with Anderson or someone else down the road.

Murphy, when healthy, remains a solid stay-at-home second-pairing blueliner.  However, he has missed significant time with injuries in two of the last three seasons.  Still, if he can stay healthy and in the same role for two more years, he could land a multi-year deal around this price tag two years from now.  Brodie came over as another free agent pickup after a year in Toronto that started off okay but saw him struggle to finish.  He won’t be tasked with as much ice time in Chicago which should help but when this contract is up, he’s probably going to have to go year-to-year moving forward.

Mrazek put up a respectable .907 SV% last season on a team that struggled considerably which helped earn him this two-year extension, one that is also above-market.  He’ll need to put up better numbers over the next two seasons to have a shot at bettering his price tag two years from now.  Brossoit’s decision to return to Winnipeg proved to be wise as he thrived in limited duty, making him one of the better options in free agency this summer.  That said, with a still-limited track record, he couldn’t command top dollar.  He’ll have a chance over the next two years to show that he can carry a bigger workload which could put him in line for another raise if things go well in Chicago.

Signed Through 2026-27

F Teuvo Teravainen ($5.4MM, UFA)

Teravainen had a bounce-back year with Carolina, potting a career-best 25 goals which made him one of the more prominent wingers in free agency.  It was a bit surprising to see him land just a three-year agreement but he’ll have a chance to play a prominent role which, if all goes well, could allow him to put up some good numbers, giving him a chance to beat this price three years from now.

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Laurent Brossoit To Miss Five To Seven Weeks From Knee Surgery

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Goaltender for the Chicago Blackhawks, Laurent Brossoit, is confirmed to be out most of if not all of training camp as the team announced he is set to miss five to seven weeks while recovering from meniscus surgery yesterday. The team recently signed Brossoit to a two-year, $6.6MM contract on the opening day of free agency this summer.

The Blackhawks are set to take on the Utah Hockey Club for their first game of the regular season on October 8th which means Brossoit could miss up to four games if he takes seven weeks to recover. If Brossoit can rebound on the quicker end of the prognosis he would be able to participate in Chicago’s last two preseason games against the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues on October 4th and 5th, respectively.

Luckily even if Brossoit takes the maximum amount of time the Blackhawks will not be in too much of a hole at the goaltending position as they could recall last year’s backup, Arvid Soderblom, to stay with the team through the first week of the regular season. Soderblom would objectively serve as a downgrade to Brossoit but four games in early October should not make-or-break Chicago’s season.

Brossoit should ultimately serve as a co-starter in the Blackhawks’ net alongside Petr Mrazek. He has spent nearly all his career in a backup role and sought a share of the starts in his next home. Chicago served as an ideal choice for this as although Mrazek performed amicably for the team last season they needed a better option outside of Soderblom.

The Port Alberni, BC native has arguably been one of the better backup goaltenders over the last two years albeit surviving multiple stints on the injured reserve. Brossoit has amassed a 22-5-5 record over 34 games split between the Vegas Golden Knights and Winnipeg Jets since the start of the 2022-23 season with a .927 save percentage and 2.05 goals-against average. He will no longer have the defensive core in front of him that he’s had in seasons past which could negatively impact his numbers next year.

The Blackhawks have nothing to lose by giving Brossoit a two-year deal this summer as the team has little hope of contending over the next two seasons. Nevertheless, Brossoit will put them in a much better position to win this season comparing last year’s options.

Blackhawks Likely To Start Kevin Korchinski In AHL

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The Blackhawks are leaning toward assigning sophomore defenseman Kevin Korchinski to the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs to begin the 2024-25 season, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reports Monday. Korchinski, the seventh overall pick of the 2022 draft, played 76 games for Chicago last season in a top-four role.

Chicago has reportedly been mulling whether to demote the defenseman for weeks now. The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus mentioned the possibility late last month. It would provide more solid reasoning for signing veterans T.J. Brodie and Alec Martinez during the July 1 free-agent frenzy.

At the time, some criticized signing both as compared to just one as taking away a roster spot from the rebuilding organization’s glut of young defenders, namely Wyatt Kaiser and Isaak Phillips. With Korchinski starting in the AHL, it’s likely both Kaiser and Phillips will make the opening night roster, Pope opines, although Louis Crevier and Ethan Del Mastro will also be in the mix for spots.

Last season was a struggle for Korchinski, a two-time Western Hockey League All-Star with the Seattle Thunderbirds. He made the jump to the NHL directly out of juniors, a decision that overtaxed the 20-year-old without much of a supporting cast on the Blackhawks’ back end.

Korchinski showed flashes offensively, posting five goals and 10 assists for 15 points in 76 games, but his -39 rating was the worst among Chicago defenders, and his possession quality numbers at even strength were in the tank. With injuries persisting all last season on defense, the Hawks could never comfortably send Korchinski down to the minors for a breather. It’s clear their signings of Brodie and Martinez, both of whom can still shoulder top-four minutes on a bottom-feeder, were made with flexibility regarding Korchinski’s development in mind.

Korchinski was an electric offensive presence with the Thunderbirds in his post-draft season. The Saskatchewan native was among the top five WHL defenders in scoring with 11 goals and 73 points in just 54 games, logging a +50 rating to boot. He added 14 points in 19 playoff games as Seattle took home the WHL championship, and he also recorded four points in seven games for Canada in his first taste of international hockey at the 2023 World Juniors.

It’s likely too early in pre-camp preparations to strike Korchinski from opening-night roster consideration entirely. But starting Kaiser and Phillips in third-pairing roles with fringe top-four usage, likely their ceiling on a contending team anyway, is more advantageous to the club’s long-term plan while allowing Korchinski to gain more confidence at the professional level.

Summer Synopsis: Chicago Blackhawks

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The Chicago Blackhawks haven’t had much success in recent years but they do appear poised to turn the corner very soon. Whether that turn happens next season or not remains to be seen, but the Blackhawks certainly seem ready to move their rebuild into the next phase adding plenty of veterans to create a mix with their younger players. Chicago is unlikely to be a playoff team next season, but given the veterans they’ve added and young phenom Connor Bedard ready to take the next step, it isn’t impossible to imagine them in the playoff picture come spring 2025.

Draft

1-2: D Artyom Levshunov, Michigan State (NCAA)
1-18: F Sacha Boisvert,  Muskegon (USHL)
1-27: F Marek Vanacker, Brantford (OHL)
3-67: F John Mustard, Waterloo (USHL)
3-72: F AJ Spellacy, Windsor (OHL)
3-92: F Jack Pridham, West Kelowna (BCHL)
5-138: F Joel Svensson, Vaxjo HC (J20 Nationell)
6-163: D Ty Henry, Erie (OHL)

The Blackhawks once again had a top pick in 2024 and used it to select Michigan State defenseman Levshunov. The 18-year-old from Belarus is a mobile defenseman who can make offense happen in a number of different ways boasting an excellent shot as well as lethal passing and explosiveness to his game that allows him to create open ice for himself out of nothing. He’s not just an offensive defenseman as his size and maneuverability allow him to play a steady defensive game.

The Blackhawks’ second pick in the first round was a goal scorer in Boisvert. The Trois-Rivières, Quebec native is a threat to score from all over the ice with his big one-timer and a solid wrist shot that is difficult for goaltenders to pick up. He can also score in tight, boasting a very good net-front presence and the ability to finish under pressure. The knock on Boisvert is his skating, which is very much a work in progress.

With their third and final first-round pick the Blackhawks drafted Brantford forward Vanacker out of the OHL. The Delhi, Ontario native has been called a cerebral player because of his ability to time his drives into open space and his knack for identifying soft coverage. He is a solid back checker and can create odd-man opportunities in transition. Vanacker has a solid offensive game, a good shot and a strong powerful skating stride that can open up space and also allow him to drive to the net with speed.

Outside of the first round, Chicago added five additional prospects to the pipeline with the most notable being John Mustard who notched 29 goals and 27 assists in 60 USHL games last season. Mustard’s 29 goals led all USHL rookies and helped him earn USHL Rookie of the Year honors.

Trade Acquisitions

F Ilya Mikheyev (Vancouver)

Chicago scooped up Canucks cast off Mikheyev in a salary cap dump alongside a second-round pick and the signing rights to Sam Lafferty. Although Chicago never re-signed Lafferty, the real centerpiece of the deal was the second-round pick. But now Chicago has a player in Mikheyev who will be looking to re-capture his scoring touch after a difficult season in Vancouver that saw him post just 11 goals and 20 assists in 78 regular season games. The Canucks retained 15% of Mikheyev’s cap hit which means the Blackhawks are on the hook for just over $4MM annually for the next two seasons.

Mikheyev’s fall from grace took just two short years in Vancouver after he was billed as a marquee signing back in 2022. Vancouver hoped they were paying a player who was only scratching the surface, but in retrospect, Vancouver overpaid a player who hadn’t yet established himself as a scoring winger and gave him scoring winger money. Ultimately, the free agent signing backfired, and Vancouver was forced to staple an asset to  Mikheyev in order to move on from his contract.

For Chicago, they get a player who can provide them with some depth scoring if he stays healthy. The versatile 29-year-old can play a two-way game which should allow Chicago to play him up and down their lineup as they try to mix in all the new pieces they’ve acquired this summer. Mikheyev has enough skill to play in Chicago’s top six, but if he is not a fit his game would allow him to be a complimentary piece on one of the team’s bottom two lines.

UFA Signings

F Joey Anderson (two-year, $1.6MM)
F Tyler Bertuzzi (four-year, $22MM)
D T.J. Brodie (two-year, $7.5MM)
G Laurent Brossoit (two-year, $6.6MM)
F Pat Maroon (one-year, $1.3MM)
D Alec Martinez (one-year, $4MM)
F Craig Smith (one-year, $1MM)
F Teuvo Teravainen (three-year, $16.2MM)

* denotes a two-way contract

Chicago was busy on July 1st, signing a plethora of players in an effort to insulate some of their up-and-coming prospects. The Blackhawks were aggressive up front, signing Bertuzzi and Teravainen to presumably play in their top six (possibly next to Bedard) and also signed veteran depth forwards Maroon and Smith.

Bertuzzi wasn’t great in Toronto last season, but he wasn’t bad either. The 29-year-old never really seemed to settle in with Toronto and appeared in search of a role until later in the season. Bertuzzi remained a play driver in Toronto but slumped at various times and was snake-bitten for small parts of the year. In Chicago, it is expected that he will take a top-six spot and will be relied on to continue going to the net to be a disrupter for the Blackhawks and hopefully find a way to gel more effectively with their skilled players than he did in Toronto.

Chicago’s other big forward signing was Teravainen who comes over from the Hurricanes. The 29-year-old had to settle for a three-year deal but could be a bargain for Chicago if he can return to the 50–60-point player that he has been in five of the past seven seasons. Teravainen is ideally suited for the middle six but might have to play top-line minutes in Chicago next season. He isn’t a particularly strong or tough player to play against, but he is an excellent passer who has good offensive instincts and should help drive Chicago’s possession numbers when he is on the ice.

On the back end, Chicago signed a couple of veteran defensemen in Brodie and Martinez. Brodie lost his way towards the end of his stay in Toronto as he went from being an excellent defender who could move the puck out of the defensive zone to a turnover machine in very short order. Brodie’s two-year deal is low risk for Chicago, particularly if he is used on the bottom pair, but if his play resembles that of last season and if his skating isn’t there, his signing might be one that Chicago regrets.

At 37, it’s hard to say how much longer Alec Martinez can continue to block shots the way he does. But his veteran presence and penalty killing will be welcomed in Chicago, particularly for a young defenseman like Kevin Korchinski who could learn a lot from a grizzled veteran like Martinez. The three-time Stanley Cup champion will likely be a third-paring defenseman for Chicago (alongside Brodie) and asking any more of him at this late stage of his career could be problematic.

RFA Re-Signings

D Louis Crevier (one-year, $775K)*
C Cole Guttman (one-year, $775K)*
D Isaak Phillips (one-year, $775K)*
F Lukas Reichel (two-year, $2.4MM)
F Zach Sanford (one-year, $775K)*
F Brett Seney (one-year, $775K)*

* denotes a two-way contract

Chicago had a relatively quiet summer on the RFA market thus far, signing mostly depth pieces to two-way contracts while only signing Lukas Reichel to a one-way contract. Reichel looked like a gamer during an extended NHL stay in 2022-23 potting seven goals and eight assists in 23 games while showing off his speed and playmaking ability. But last season his game came crashing down to earth as he struggled during his first full NHL season. The 22-year-old tallied just five goals and 11 assists in 65 games and was crushed in the possession department registering a CF% of just 40.9% at even strength. He will get another look next season but will need to show the Blackhawks a lot more than he did this past year.

Guttman could get a look next season in the NHL if injuries become a problem for Chicago, but he is unlikely to start the year with the team. The undersized forward has had a cup of coffee in the NHL the past two seasons, dressing in 41 games and posting eight goals and six assists, but hasn’t been able to establish himself as an everyday NHLer. At 25 years of age, Guttman could still carve out a role in Chicago, but at this stage, it would likely fall in the Blackhawks bottom six and could be as a 13th forward.

Departures

C Colin Blackwell (Dallas, one-year, $775K)
F MacKenzie Entwistle (Florida, one-year, $775K)*
F David Gust (unsigned UFA)
F Mike Hardman (New Jersey, two-year, $1.55MM)*
F Reese Johnson (Minnesota, one-year, $775K)*
C Tyler Johnson (unsigned UFA)
F Sam Lafferty (Buffalo, two-year, $4MM)
D Jaycob Megna (Florida, one-year, $775K)*
C Luke Philp (Washington, one-year, $775K)*
F Rem Pitlick (unsigned UFA)
F Taylor Raddysh (Washington, one year, $1MM)
D Filip Roos (Ottawa, one-year, $775K)*
G Jaxson Stauber (Utah, one-year, $775K)*
F Michal Teply (signed in Czech Extraliga)
D Jarred Tinordi (unsigned UFA)
D Nikita Zaitsev (signed in KHL)

* denotes a two-way contract

Chicago’s departures aren’t likely to keep management up at night as the team let a lot of depth players walk to open up roster slots for more effective players. Chicago was able to clear several bloated contracts with the departures of Zaitsev and Tyler Johnson and quickly used that money to add veteran pieces in free agency.

Johnson was probably the most effective of the departing players, posting 17 goals and 14 assists last season in 67 games. But at 34 years old Chicago opted to move on from the two-time Stanley Cup winner. Chicago doesn’t have great depth down the middle outside of Bedard, but despite this Chicago still opted to pass on re-signing Johnson.

On Chicago’s backend, Zaitsev’s departure won’t cause anyone in Chicago to lose sleep as he was largely a non-factor during his stay in the Windy City. Tinordi was another departure for the Blackhawks and despite his physicality, Chicago made an upgrade on the free-agent market by replacing him with the likes of Brodie and Martinez.

Salary Cap Outlook

The Blackhawks will enter training camp with just under $6.7MM in available cap space which should give them plenty of options depending on the direction their season takes. If the Blackhawks have a strong start to the season, they could look to add to their NHL roster and would have both the assets and salary cap space to do so. If their season falls off the rails and they become sellers, they could take on bad contracts from teams that are looking to make in-season moves. Long term, Chicago has a ton of cap space going forward, but that room will begin to shrink as their young prospects develop and come off their entry-level contracts looking for their first big payday in the NHL.

Key Questions

How Much Will Bedard Elevate His Game? Bedard had a solid rookie season, posting 22 goals and 39 assists on a very bad team. While he didn’t have a lot of help last season, he did manage to almost score a point a game and should be a lock to do so next season when he has a much better-supporting cast. But just how much better will Bedard be on his own? Bedard has been labelled a phenom and compared to both Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, two players who elevated their games after their rookie season.  Crosby had 102 points as a rookie before registering 120 points in his Hart Trophy-winning second season, while McDavid had 48 points in 45 games as a rookie but dialled it up considerably in his second year tallying 100 points in 82 games. If Bedard’s career follows the same trajectory as the men he has been compared to, it’s not inconceivable to think he could hit 100 points next season.

When Should The Team Name Bedard The Captain? We all know that it’s just a matter of time before the Blackhawks name Bedard as team captain. Crosby was named captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins after his second NHL season, and both he and McDavid were just 19 years old when they were given the C by their respective teams. Time will tell when Chicago chooses to anoint Bedard as their next captain, but if it happens this season, he will have plenty of veteran support to help him lead the team.

Just How Much Better Will Chicago Be Next Season?  Chicago struggled badly with injuries last season to the point where they were calling the staff of PHR to suit up for the team. Okay, maybe things weren’t quite that bad, but the Blackhawks had to dig deep into the ranks of Rockford to ice an NHL team as they lost a league-high 351-man games to injury. A healthy lineup alone should guarantee Chicago a few extra points in the standings, but their roster has also improved significantly. Last season Chicago had the worst offense in the league, Bertuzzi and Teravainen should help in that regard. Chicago also finished 29th in goals against and should be aided by the defensive additions of Martinez and Brodie, as well as Brossoit in the net who should help to stabilize things between the pipes.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Blackhawks Expect Taylor Hall To Be Cleared For Preseason

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The Blackhawks made a splash on the trade market last summer when they acquired top-six winger Taylor Hall from the Bruins, but an injury to his ACL in his right knee derailed his campaign and shut him down back in November. After returning to practice in the final few days of the 2023-24 campaign, Hall told Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times that he’s completed his recovery from surgery and expects to be medically cleared to play by team doctors upon arriving for training camp next month.

Hall, 32, was expected to be Connor Bedard’s primary wingman in the first-overall pick’s rookie season. It’s easy to see why they targeted the veteran, who won the Hart Trophy with the Devils in 2018 and was just one year removed from a 20-goal, 61-point season at the time of his acquisition. He also came at a substantial $6MM cap hit, one that the Bruins needed to get rid of to increase their spending flexibility and one Chicago needed to help them hit the cap floor. But while he fulfilled the latter objective, his on-ice impact was negligible at best, posting just four points and a -3 rating in 10 games before exiting the lineup entirely.

Uncertainty about how Hall may perform coming off knee surgery directly influenced the Blackhawks’ offseason plans. After signing the slightly younger Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen in free agency, Hall will likely be relegated to a second-line or even third-line role as he returns to the Chicago lineup. But if he’s needed to take on extra minutes, the 2010 first-overall pick “intends to come back hungry” after missing so much time, he tells Pope.

“I’m trying to take some rest breaks here and there because I’ve been working out and rehabbing for eight months now,” Hall said about his offseason recovery process. “You want to plateau — you want to be at your best — when training camp starts, and you don’t want to be fatigued from working out all summer. I’m playing around with that. But, in general, it feels like a normal offseason for me.” Notably, Pope says Hall has still yet to participate in any full-contact drills, but that’s expected to come with his clearance next month.

A solid rebound campaign from Hall, a pending UFA, likely has more value for Chicago in trade talks than it does in the standings table. They can comfortably retain up to 50% of his salary, making him a $3MM acquisition on deadline day, and his trade protection is limited to a 10-team no-trade list. Hall, who’s only made the playoffs five times in his 14 NHL seasons, would likely welcome a trade to any postseason contender regardless.

Maroon Not Yet Thinking About Playing Future Beyond Upcoming Season

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  • Veteran forward Pat Maroon signed a one-year, $1.3MM contract with the Blackhawks early in free agency which will be the 14th season of his career. The 36-year-old told Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times that he’s not focusing beyond the coming season and isn’t sure if this will be his final year.  Maroon spent most of 2023-24 with Minnesota before being acquired by Boston at the trade deadline although his injury at the time limited him to just two regular season games.  He had four goals and 11 assists along with 60 penalty minutes in 51 appearances last season.

Frank Nazar Could Be An X-Factor In Chicago’s New Top-Six

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The Chicago Blackhawks have had the wind behind their sails since drafting Connor Bedard. They’ve continued to announce exciting upgrades to the roster, the staff, and even the United Center; pulling out plenty of storylines ahead of next season. But that excitement has cast a bit of a shadow over the genuine rookie challenge awaiting top prospect Frank Nazar, and the X-factor role he could earn as a result.

Nazar signed his entry-level contract following the end of the University of Michigan season in April. He was soon granted the first three NHL games of his career, as part of a cohort of Hawks prospects receiving their debuts. But Chicago used Nazar the most, awarding him an average of 16 minutes of ice time and coupling him with Bedard for a quarter of his ice time. He only managed one goal in the appearances but looked ready to play at NHL pace, and next to NHL stars.

The hefty ice time he received in his debuts was an early sign of the role that Chicago thinks Nazar could fill. They didn’t waste his ice time, and gave him a chance to earn roles alongside their best players – sentiment that’d now be much more valuable following the many upgrades to the Blackhawks offense this summer. Chicago now sits with significantly improved top lines, thanks to the additions of Teuvo Teravainen and Tyler Bertuzzi, as well as the return of Taylor Hall. That trio will join Bedard and, likely, Andreas Athanasiou or Philipp Kurashev to form an excitingly high-tempo and high-skilled Blackhawks top-six. But that leaves one spot open – and while hardened veterans like Jason Dickinson, Nick Foligno, or Ilya Mikheyev are likely safer bets for the role, Nazar could be much better fit for the high-skill calling card.

That’s certainly the moniker he built for himself at the U.S. NTDP, where Nazar fought with Logan Cooley and Cutter Gauthier for top-line minutes. He scored above a point-per-game pace in the role, and built up a knack for elevating talented wingers like Rutger McGroarty and Jimmy Snuggerud. He became a bit easy to forget during his absentee 2022-23 season – but rebounded with purpose last season, showing that he still had the ability to sway games with his flashy offense. He worked with McGroarty to carry Michigan to the Big Ten championship game and Frozen Four semi-finals – and carried the high-energy into his first taste with Chicago.

Hawks general manager Kyle Davidson has said that all players stand an “equal chance” at making the Blackhawks lineup out of training camp, perhaps casting some doubt on Nazar’s undisputed role. But with a healthy summer and a sense of what he’s preparing for, it’s hard to imagine Nazar not taking a step up next season. He sits amid tough competition with Chicago’s hardened veterans and other top youngsters, like Lukas Reichel and Landon Slaggert. With one collegiate season to his name, Nazar also has the least experience of the bunch. But the Blackhawks will need a special offensive talent to round out their newly-constructed top-six – and Nazar’s skill seems like an early best fit. He may need to first prove himself in the minor leagues, or wait for others to struggle, but the sky will be the limit when Nazar earns a spot among Chicago’s now-high-scoring top-end.

Poll: Who Will Be The NHL’s Next Captain?

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August is finally here, marking the time of year when teams reconvene at their home rink and begin hardy planning for the upcoming season. That step will come with extra work for the six teams around the league who don’t currently have a captain.

Many of these teams, including Seattle, Anaheim, and Utah, have gone years without a captain – instead opting to disseminate responsibilities among multiple assistant captains. All three teams are amidst staunch rebuilds – with Utah even mapping out relocation – and are likely waiting for their top prospects to take a few more steps before earning the role. The trio of Matthew Beniers, Leo Carlsson, and Logan Cooley seem prime for that ascension with their respective teams, though they each have multiple challengers lining up behind them. The Buffalo Sabres are in a similar grouping, as they transition from a veteran-laden lineup to one of the league’s youngest rosters.

The Chicago Blackhawks also fall into the aforementioned discussion – not carrying a captain since legendary centerman Jonathan Toews ended his career in 2022. Toews leaves massive shoes as Chicago’s leader, after co-heading three Stanley Cup wins alongside winger Patrick Kane. Naming a successor will formally carry Chicago into a new era – one without many of the faces that came to define Chicago hockey in the 2010s. Teenage phenom Connor Bedard seems like a great option to lead that transition, after netting 22 goals and 61 points in 68 games last season – the most of any rookie Blackhawk since Artemi Panarin in 2016, and Kane before him. But Bedard is still young and was limited to a partial season last year by a jaw injury. Those factors could hold him back from Chicago’s prestigious ’C’. If that is the case, it doesn’t seem any of the team’s veteran leaders, including Nick Foligno and Seth Jones, would inspire Chicago to name a captain too early.

And while Chicago’s next captain will lead the team through new scenery, it’s the Tampa Bay vacancy that headlines the off-season. The Lightning now sit without a captain for the first time since 2002, after franchise icon Steven Stamkos chose to sign with the Nashville Predators in his first trip to unrestricted free agency. Stamkos wore the ’C’ for the last 10 years and established himself as a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer in that span, leading Tampa Bay to two Stanley Cups and setting the franchise’s all-time records in both goals and points scored. Like in Chicago, the Lightning will be entering a new era with their next captain – though they’re much more prepared for the vacancy than their counterparts. While forwards Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point could both serve as strong replacements, it’s defenseman Victor Hedman that offers the same rugged veteran leadership brought by Stamkos. Hedman recently signed a four-year extension in Tampa, taking him through his age-37 season and, potentially, the end of his career. He’s already appeared in 1,052 games with Tampa Bay – the most of any Lightning other than Stamkos – and holds the franchise records in all three scoring stats, among defenders. Transitioning from Stamkos to Hedman should prove more of a light handoff than a total change in power, which could be enough to sway a Lightning franchise that hasn’t gone longer than one year without a captain since naming Paul Ysebaert as their inaugural ’C’.

Mapping out when captain announcements will come is often a fool’s bet, but the candidates to earn the NHL’s next ’C’ seem to be becoming clearer. Who will it be? Will Tampa jump to another veteran, will Chicago move into their next step, or will an oft-captain-less team commit to their young guard? Let us know by voting in the poll below and discussing in the comments.

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