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Jarred Tinordi Potentially Joins Blackhawks On PTO

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Although he’s a year removed from playing with the team, there’s some speculation that defenseman Jarred Tinordi could return to the Chicago Blackhawks this fall on a professional tryout agreement. According to Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio, Tinordi was on the ice before the first day of Chicago’s rookie camp in full team equipment.

Tinordi played for the Blackhawks from 2022 to 2024, primarily as a spot defenseman during the team’s ongoing rebuild, which involved phasing in young talent. Throughout two years with Chicago, Tinordi scored two goals and 17 points in 96 games with a -44 rating, averaging 16:01 of ice time per night. He provided some value with his ability to block shots and his physicality, but his spot on the roster became void as the Blackhawks continued to graduate their prospects.

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Blackhawks At Comfortable Spot In Connor Bedard Extension Talks

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Despite little mention of a new deal, it doesn’t seem Chicago Blackhawks fans have any reason to worry about not landing an agreement with their lineup star. Connor Bedard shared that he and the Blackhawks have mutual interest in getting a multi-year extension done with NHL.com’s Nicholas J. Cotsonika during the NHL Media Tour. The young sniper said:

We’re both comfortable with where we’re at. They know I want to be there; I know they want me. So, it’s really not on my mind that much, and I just think when it happens, it’ll happen.

It’s fair to say that Bedard’s extension will have to be unique. The 2023 first-overall pick has filled a distinctly difficult role through two seasons in Chicago. He’s unequivocally the Blackhawks’ top forward, though adapting to a do-it-all role has proven lofty for the 5-foot-10 centerman – especially after two years on a sluggish Regina Pats team. But just like he did in the WHL, Bedard has found his scoring through the struggles. He’s surpassed 60 points in each of his first two seasons, a feat that only two other teenagers – Sidney Crosby and Patrik Laine – have accomplished since 2000.

Reaching further into the bag of superlatives, Bedard’s 128 points in his first 150 games is the third-most recorded by a teenager in the last 10 years, behind Laine and Connor McDavid. He ranks just ahead of Nathan MacKinnon (101 points) and Nico Hischier (99 points). That fact paints a sign of relief for Blackhawks fans worried that Bedard hasn’t broken into the top echelon of scoring just yet. He’s still many, many years away from his prime – and performed at a supreme level for a teenager in the NHL.

But how will that reflect in contract negotiations? Laine opted for a bridge deal after his entry-level deal came to a close, inking a two-year, $13.5MM contract that’d prove to be a proper amount of risk-avoidance. But Laine’s lineup standing, as a goal-dependent winger, can hardly be compared to the firm role that Bedard has already carved out. His standing is much more in-line with players like Hischier or MacKinnon, who each signed seven-year contract extensions after their entry-level deal that carried a cap hit equivalent to 8.9 percent of the salary cap. Using that same marker for Bedard, Chicago could be set to begin negotiations with their young center at a seven-year, $64.8MM contract – which would carry a yearly cap hit of $9.256MM.

On a long-term contract, that deal could be more than worth it. Bedard spent the 2025 summer working alongside many of the NHL’s top emerging youngsters, including Macklin Celebrini and Kent Johnson. While training video is often not an indicator of game performance, it was hard not to notice Bedard’s patented snappy wrist-shot looking a bit stronger, and more deceptive, as he played around some great peers. A summer of honing skills, and a few more years of strength-building, could easily place Bedard in the position of electric goal-scorer that many expect him to fill. He’s already posted two 20-goal seasons in his campaign, and will eye the next rung up the ladder – a 30-goal campaign – next year.

In the meantime, Chicago will sit patient on a deal. Bedard said that he could sign an extension before the season, but may not. If he doesn’t, he’ll have a great chance to a heftier payday on a Blackhawks roster ever so slightly better than their 2024-25 group. Whether it’s sparked by a hot start to the year or a warm reception at training camp, running Bedard’s stay in Chicago through the 2030’s seems to be a matter of when – not if.

Photo courtesy of Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports.

Afternoon Notes: Thompson, Reichel, Ovechkin

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It has been an up-and-down year for Buffalo Sabres star Tage Thompson. He was excluded from Team USA’s roster at the Four Nations Face-Off in February, prompting a monster run through the rest of his games last season. He scored 33 goals in 57 games following the mid-year break, then added nine points in 10 games at the summer’s World Championship, including the decisive goal to earn the United States their first Gold Medal in recent history. As part of an extended interview, Thompson told Michael Russo of The Athletic that he’s hoping that goal can advance his spot on the watchlist as the USA prepares for the Olympics. He said:

I would hope scoring that goal would make a difference, but it’s also one play. It doesn’t define me as a player or mean that I had a great tournament or anything by that means… I want to be an Olympian, but getting the Sabres back into the playoffs is always at the forefront.

Thompson is undoubtedly one of America’s biggest scoring threats. His 120 goals in 225 games is the second-most from any American in the NHL since 2022, behind only Auston Matthews (142 goals in 222 games). Thompson has managed that feat despite playing for the only team to score more than 800 goals, and still get outscored, in the same timeframe. He’s the standing pillar of a struggling team, a point made literal by Thompson’s 6-foot-6, 220-pound frame. The United States tied Canada for the most goals (10) during their three games at the 4-Nations Face-Off. Adding a player of Thompson’s caliber to the lineup could be enough to will the Americans over their rival on the biggest stage next February.

Other notes from around the NHL:

  • Chicago Blackhawks winger Lukas Reichel told Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun Times that he hasn’t been able to dodge trade rumors – even hearing them on the streets of his native Germany. Despite that, Reichel emphasized that his focus is squarely on carving out a big role with the Blackhawks next season. He scored a career-high eight goals and 22 points in 70 games last season, but still seems well capable of achieving more. The Blackhawks will have plenty of new faces challenging Reichel for minutes next year, including newcomer Andre Burakovsky and rookies Oliver Moore and Landon Slaggert. That competition will push Reichel to a breaking point. If he can show his might in the NHL, he’ll earn a strong role in the middle-six. If not, he could soon find a path away from the Blackhawks organization.
  • NHL legend Alex Ovechkin has departed from his native Russia to return to the United States for the 2025-26 season, shares Sammi Silber of The Hockey News. Ovechkin will kick off his 21st season in the NHL when he lands back in Washington D.C. That mark will make him one of just 42 NHL players to appear in at least 21 seasons. The future Hall-of-Famer broke the league’s record for all-time goals last season, en route to an incredibly 44 goals and 73 points in just 65 games. It will be hard to relieve those numbers as he inches as he prepares to play in his age-40 season. Even then, managing even half of that scoring pace would put Ovechkin on pace for the highest-scoring age-40 season since Teemu Selanne posted 80 points in 2010-11.

Carey Price Trade Not A Necessity For Canadiens

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Trade attention has once again zoned in on Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price as the league announces changes to the use of long-term injured reserve and salary cap in the postseason. The future Hall-of-Fame goaltender hasn’t played since 2021, after undergoing meniscus surgery to address a severe knee injury. Montreal has kept him on LTIR, and thus received full relief from his $10.5MM cap hit, in each of the three seasons since. That cap hit and LTIR relief could each be beneficial for teams across the league, but Canadiens’ general manager Kent Hughes told Sportsnet’s Eric Engels that he’s in no rush to find a deal. Hughes said:

We don’t have to trade Carey Price… If we can find a trade to move his contract that makes sense for us and makes sense for another team, we’ll pursue it. But we don’t have to.

The Canadiens are currently $5.93MM over the salary cap, per PuckPedia. Placing Price back on LTIR at the start of the season will bring them up to roughly $4.57MM in cap space, more than enough for next season. That cap relief underlines Hughes’ sentiment of not needing a deal, and would likely force Montreal to bring back another long-term injury in any Price trade. They could balance their budget by swapping Price for a player like Logan Couture from the San Jose Sharks, or even by acquiring Shea Weber’s contract from the Chicago Blackhawks. Both teams sit roughly $6MM over the salary cap floor as things stand, and could get a hardier budget by paying up for Price’s contract.

As for what Montreal could expect in return, the list of comparable IR moves has run a bit thin. Montreal used Weber’s contract to acquire NHL winger Evgenii Dadonov from the Vegas Golden Knights in 2022. He’s moved multiple times since – most recently in a trade to Chicago alongside minor-leaguer Aku Raty and the rights to Victor Soderstrom in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick.

In the year prior to Weber’s original move to Vegas, Chicago used Brent Seabrook’s contract to acquire NHL forward Tyler Johnson and a second-round pick. That could be a better structure to hope for – though it’s hard to gauge if the market remains the same four years later, and with the changes to LTIR. With no rush to make a deal, Montreal will have the luxury of sitting back until a strong offer comes through.

Poll: Who Is The Early Favorite To Win The 2026 Calder Trophy?

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The hockey world was treated to a true gift by the race for the 2025 Calder Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL’s top rookie. The class lived up to years of expectations, headlined by Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson tying Larry Murphy for the most assists by a rookie defender. He took home the Calder ahead of San Jose Sharks top center Macklin Celebrini and Calgary Flames starting goaltender Dustin Wolf – who both managed star-studded and historic performances of their own. The heap of talent left players who could have won the trophy outright in seemingly any other year – options like 26-goal-scorer Matvei Michkov. A rookie class so strong will be impossible to follow up, but the group in 2025-26 seem to have a great chance to come close.

Early predictions will have the Calder Trophy staying put through in 2026. The Canadiens are set to award star rookie Ivan Demidov with his first NHL season, after he led KHL super-club SKA St. Petersburg with in scoring with 49 points in 62 games last season. He was a sheer force at Russia’s top level, showing a pace, strength, and finesse that was unmatched by his competition. Demidov finished the year with five points in six Gagarin Cup Playoff matchups, before scoring four points in his first seven games with Montreal.

Demidov is now set to assume a key role in the Canadiens’ lineup. It’s hard to imagine he won’t play true top-line minutes. He offers the in-tight skill and low-zone grit to perfectly complement spot-shooter Cole Caufield and playmaking, two-way center Nick Suzuki. The stars will be Demidov’s ceiling if he gets a full year to such talented players. He nearly recorded a 20-30-50 season in the KHL – a league often lauded as near-equal to the NHL. That standing could set him up for 60, or even 70, points in his first year with Montreal.

It will be a tight race to catch up to, and overcome, Demidov. A slew of star collegiate players signed their entry-level contracts at the end of the season, and could easily be set for major minutes of their own. Sam Rinzel fills a need for right-shot defense for the Blackhawks and Oliver Moore seemed to bring his slick-passing to Chicago, Gabe Perreault looked like a strong utility player with the New York Rangers, and Ryan Leonard showed an ability to match the Washington Capitals’ pace.

And yet, all four could be outdone by Minnesota Wild defenseman Zeev Buium, who managed an impressive 98 points in 83 games at the University of Denver. He appeared in four Stanley Cup Playoff games, but only managed one assist. Also atop the defense charts is top KHL defender Alexander Nikishin, who ended a stalemate when he finally joined the Carolina Hurricanes for the playoffs. Nikishin ranked second on SKA St. Petersburg with 46 points in 61 games, and matched Buium’s postseason statline.

Even still, the OHL could emerge. Sam Dickinson served as the star of the 2025 Memorial Cup-winning London Knights, and seems well-primed for a big role with the desolate San Jose Sharks. He could be joined by the reigning ’OHL Player of the Year’ Michael Misa, who managed an incredible 62 goals and 134 points in 65 OHL games last season. Misa was drafted second in this year’s class, with New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer the only selection before him. The smooth-moving, sharp-eyed Schaefer could be another Calder candidate, though he hasn’t played a season-game since sustaining a broken collarbone during the World Junior Championships last December.

It will be hard for any player to rival the record-breaking heights that Hutson reached last season, but the list of candidates looking to follow him up seems endless. Any one of the aforementioned players could find their way into a star role, or the award could go to someone entirely different – like 2025 Hobey Baker Award-winner and Edmonton Oilers winger Isaac Howard.

With so much talent on the board, who do you think will win the 2026 Calder Trophy? If you choose ’Other’, comment your pick below!

Who Is The Early Favorite To Win The 2026 Calder Trophy?
Ivan Demidov, Canadiens 57.40% (477 votes)
Alexander Nikishin, Hurricanes 15.88% (132 votes)
Zeev Buium, Wild 14.68% (122 votes)
Matthew Schaefer, Islanders 12.03% (100 votes)
Total Votes: 831

Mobile users click here to vote.

Likelihood Of Connor Bedard Signing Early Extension Dropping?

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As of July 1st, Blackhawks center Connor Bedard became eligible to sign a contract extension like every other player entering the final year of their respective contracts.  One of the questions heading into the start of the summer was if he’d be among the players to quickly sign an early extension.  With September a little more than a week away, it’s safe to say the answer to that question was no.

It’s quite possible that the answer will continue to be no as well.  In his latest appearance for Bleacher Report (video link), Frank Seravalli noted that both Bedard and the Blackhawks feel any urgency to get something done now and they appear to be quite content with letting next season play out and then working on a contract at that point.

The 20-year-old was the first overall pick two years ago, a consensus choice after he simply lit up the WHL where he had 134 goals and 137 assists in 134 games over parts of three major junior seasons with Regina.  The hope was that he could come in and be the next great NHL superstar.

Bedard’s progression doesn’t have him at that level just yet.  After putting up an impressive 22 goals and 39 assists in 67 games in his rookie season, his point-per-game rate actually dropped last year when he had 23 goals and 44 helpers in 82 appearances.  Both point totals were enough to lead the Blackhawks in scoring but at the same time, it would be fair to suggest that he underachieved relative to expectations last season.

Having yet to reach the 70-point mark and given the comparable contracts for top young centers in recent years, a rough projection for a long-term deal for Bedard would be around the $8.5MM range based on his performance so far.  It wouldn’t be shocking if GM Kyle Davidson was amenable to something around that price point but for Bedard, it probably wouldn’t make as much sense.  On the flip side, a long-term price tag that Bedard’s camp might want could be too rich for the team to sign at this point.

With that in mind, it makes a lot of sense for both sides to wait this out.  Given the expectations the team has for Bedard, even a down year this season isn’t going to take him out of their long-term plans so there isn’t much risk in waiting.  And if things don’t go as planned which would make a long-term agreement a little murkier, the simple solution at that point would be a bridge deal, allowing both sides more time to evaluate the situation.

Since Davidson took over as GM, he has handed out long-term contracts to a pair of young core players.  Defenseman Alex Vlasic inked a six-year deal last year while forward Frank Nazar inked a seven-year agreement earlier this week so there is definitely a willingness from the team to lock up their key players quickly.  It’s expected that Bedard will eventually follow suit but now, that might not be coming until next offseason, not this one.

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 who 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 for the 2025-26 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’re currently covering the Central Division, first up are the Blackhawks.

Chicago Blackhawks

Current Cap Hit: $76,837,976 (below the $95.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Nolan Allan (one year, $825K)
F Connor Bedard (one year, $950K)
D Kevin Korchinski (one year, $918.3K)
D Artyom Levshunov (two years, $975K)
F Frank Nazar (one year, $950K)
D Sam Rinzel (two years, $941.7K)

Potential Bonuses
Bedard: $3.5MM
Korchinski: $1MM
Levshunov: $3.25MM
Nazar: $900K
Rinzel: $500K
Total: $9.15MM

Bedard’s second contract has long been a discussion point.  Frankly, it was already being speculated about before he even signed his first deal.  But while he has led Chicago in scoring in each of his first two NHL seasons, he hasn’t been as dominant as some thought he might be.  Still, he’s tracking to be worth $10MM or more on a long-term deal, an amount that could go up if he gets closer to the point-per-game mark this season.  However, knowing there are big jumps coming to the cap for at least the next two years, this might be a case where a bridge deal makes sense, setting him up to cash in a couple of years from now when he’s ideally more established as an elite player.  A bridge agreement would still likely run past the $7MM mark.  He should hit his $1MM in ‘A’ bonuses while the ‘B’ ones are unlikely.

Nazar earned himself a quick recall and never looked back as he got better as the second half of the season went on.  He just signed a new deal which we’ll get to later on but for here, some of his four ‘A’ bonuses should be achievable.

Levshunov played enough to officially burn the first year of his deal but not accrue a season toward UFA eligibility, meaning the Blackhawks still have seven seasons of club control.  Assuming they push him to play the full NHL season this time around, he should have a chance at a couple of his ‘A’ bonuses and could have him in a position to bypass a bridge deal and sign a long-term contract.  It’s a bit early to predict that one but we’ve seen post-ELC contracts for key blueliners push past $8MM in recent years.  Rinzel got his feet wet at the NHL level late last season and was quite impressive, putting him in line to have a full-time spot barring a rough training camp.  Like Levshunov, it’s too early to predict a deal (he’s only nine games into his pro career) but if he progresses as expected, his second contract could be pricey while his ‘A’ bonuses will be reachable.

Korchinski was a regular with Chicago in his first professional season but spent the bulk of last season with AHL Rockford.  He could go back to the IceHogs but if he stays with the Blackhawks, it’s likely to be in a third-pairing role.  If that happens, a short-term second contract would make sense for both sides, one that should check in below $2MM.  He has four A’ bonuses in his deal but it seems unlikely he’ll reach any unless he plays a bigger role than expected and is quite productive.  Allan split time between the NHL and AHL last season as well although he played twice as many NHL games as AHL ones.  He had limited minutes when he was in the lineup and projects to have a similar role this season.  That has him in line for a bridge contract in the $1.5MM range.

Signed Through 2025-26, Non-Entry-Level

G Laurent Brossoit ($3.3MM, UFA)
F Jason Dickinson ($4.25MM, UFA)
F Nick Foligno ($4.5MM, UFA)
G Spencer Knight ($4.5MM, RFA)
F Sam Lafferty ($2MM, UFA)
F Ilya Mikheyev ($4.038MM, UFA)*
D Connor Murphy ($4.4MM, UFA)
F Lukas Reichel ($1.2MM, RFA)
D Shea Weber ($7.857MM, UFA)

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

When Chicago re-signed Foligno to a short-term contract, they knew they were likely to be paying a bit of a premium for him.  But he wound up playing a fair-sized role while being reasonably productive.  He seems like a candidate to be moved by the trade deadline and if he wants to take one last chance at a Stanley Cup when he’s nearing the age of 39, it will need to be a much cheaper deal although some of that can be recovered with some reasonably achievable bonuses.  Dickinson was kept at a similar premium and after a couple of decent seasons, last year was a step in the wrong direction as he dealt with injuries while his output was closer to the other years in his career.  If he remains that type of player next season, his next deal might be closer to half of this amount.

It wasn’t always pretty for Mikheyev last season but he did put up a 20-goal performance and took a regular turn on the penalty kill, a reasonable showing for someone acquired as a cap dump.  It would be surprising to see him beat his current price tag next year but a multi-year agreement in the $3.5MM range wouldn’t be shocking.  Lafferty had a particularly rough season with Buffalo last year and a repeat of that performance could have him in PTO territory next summer.  Assuming he goes back to the level of previous seasons, a small dip in pay would be more realistic.  Reichel seems to be tracking in the wrong direction as his ice time dropped to under 12 minutes a night last season with middling offensive numbers.  With him not being UFA-eligible until 2029, another two-year bridge deal might be coming his way, one that would likely check in below $2MM per season if this season is similar to last.

Weber is with his fourth different organization since it was determined that his playing days were over back in 2021.  He’s LTIR-eligible but with how far Chicago is below the cap, they shouldn’t need to put him on there.  He’ll quietly come off the books next year and that will be that.

Knight was the centerpiece of the Seth Jones trade back around the trade deadline.  For a player who was touted as a future starter at the time he was drafted, he has less than 100 NHL appearances over parts of six seasons.  Still, he showed last season that he could still be on that trajectory.  He isn’t UFA-eligible until 2028 so another short-term deal is possible, one that should check in a little above his current price tag.  Meanwhile, a long-term agreement likely pushes past $6MM per season.  Brossoit didn’t play at all last season due to a knee injury.  Assuming he’s cleared for this year, he might have to start in the minors which wouldn’t bode well for his future earnings.  But if he’s able to stay healthy in the minors, he could still surpass the $1MM mark on a one-year deal next summer.  If he’s up in the NHL and fares well, something a little less than this might be doable.

Signed Through 2026-27

F Andre Burakovsky ($5.5MM, UFA)
D Louis Crevier ($900K, RFA)
F Landon Slaggert ($900K, RFA)
G Arvid Soderblom ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Teuvo Teravainen ($5.4MM, UFA)

Burakovsky was acquired from Seattle in a cap-clearing move this summer.  He isn’t the 61-point forward he was a few years ago with Colorado but they’ll be counting on him to be a floor-raiser in the middle six.  That’s a fair bit of money for someone in that role but they’re clearly comfortable paying it.  Teravainen was brought in to be a floor-raiser himself last summer and was one of the team’s top point-getters.  They have to be pleased with how the first year went and if Teravainen can stay around the same point total, he could probably land another three-year pact in this price range.  Slaggert has been up and down since turning pro but the one-way nature suggests he might be eyed as a regular in Chicago this season, albeit in a limited role.  If he can stick as even a fourth liner, arbitration eligibility could give him a shot at doubling this in 2027.

Crevier has shown some promise in his limited time on the third pairing over the past two seasons and his size (six-foot-eight) is something that few blueliners possess.  He may ultimately be someone with limited overall upside but if he can carve out a niche as a physical penalty killer and hold his own on the third pairing, he can carve out a reasonable career for himself.  If he does that over the next couple of years, he could land closer to the $2.5MM mark.

Soderblom bounced back relatively well last season after a 2023-24 campaign that was nothing short of a disaster.  Even though the overall numbers weren’t great (he didn’t have the greatest of teams in front of him, after all), Chicago saw fit to give him a longer look.  He should have the inside track on the backup spot over Brossoit and will need to take another step forward if he wants a shot at beating this contract two years from now.

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Blackhawks Sign Frank Nazar To Seven-Year Extension

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The Blackhawks have officially announced a seven-year extension for pending RFA forward Frank Nazar. The deal will pay him an AAV and cap hit of $6.59MM for a total value of $46.13MM. The deal is paid entirely in base salary and is as follows, per PuckPedia:

2026-27: $9.1MM
2027-28: $8.66MM
2028-29: $6.6MM
2029-30: $5.46MM
2030-31: $5.46MM
2031-32: $5.46MM + 20-team no-trade clause
2032-33: $5.46MM + 20-team no-trade clause

It’s a gargantuan commitment to the 21-year-old Nazar considering his lack of NHL experience. The 2022 No. 13 overall pick lands the richest total-value contract in league history for someone with 56 or fewer career appearances, which is Nazar’s tally entering the 2025-26 campaign.

Nazar, who still has one year left on his entry-level contract before his extension will kick in for 2026-27, has yet to spend an entire season on the NHL roster. Last year was his first full run in the pros after two years at the University of Michigan, although he made his NHL debut in the final three games of 2023-24 after signing his ELC. He did not make the Blackhawks’ opening night roster but, after recording 11 goals and 24 points in 21 games for AHL Rockford, was recalled in mid-December shortly after Chicago’s coaching change and never looked back.

He faltered out of the gate, recording only one assist and a -5 rating through his first 10 appearances while averaging 14:44 of ice time per game. But under interim head coach Anders Sörenson, who had overseen his early-season success in Rockford, he was extended some patience. That paid off in the long run as Nazar built confidence, including a four-game point streak in January and a run of nine points in eight games in April to end the season.

All told, Nazar finished the season with a 12-14–26 scoring line 53 games – ninth on the team – and averaged nearly 16 minutes per game. While size concerns (5’10”, 190 lbs) created some detractors about his ability to hold down his natural center position in the NHL, he saw a fair amount of time as Chicago’s second-line middleman behind Connor Bedard. His most common deployment (107 minutes) amid an astronomical 91 different line combinations used by the Hawks last year was at 2C between Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teräväinen, although he did also see some time up on Bedard’s wing.

Nazar was seen as a top-10 threat in the 2022 class, but after slipping to Chicago and missing most of his freshman year at Michigan due to injury, there were warranted doubts about his development path. He silenced them quickly with a point-per-game sophomore showing for the Wolverines and has made about as good an adjustment to pro hockey as can be expected, given the lack of quality veteran support on the Hawks’ NHL roster.

A long-term bet at what’s even now a conservative second-line price point in 2025 could pay incredible dividends for the Blackhawks if he remains a long-term top-six piece, even if it’s on the wing, as the cap increases and they reward the other pieces of their young core with long-term deals. There’s also an incredible risk factor for someone still relatively early on their development track with less than a full season’s worth of NHL experience.

The only recent comparable for someone with his experience is Wild superstar Kirill Kaprizov, who signed a five-year, $45MM contract after his rookie season (55 GP). Kaprizov, however, had far more professional experience after coming up through Russia’s KHL and was two years older than Nazar is now, making him a more projectable player. Kaprizov also took home the Calder Trophy that year and had twice the offensive output Nazar did.

As such, the Blackhawks are betting hard on Nazar being a long-term solution, either as a wingman for Bedard or as a second-line center behind him. There’s certainly reason for optimism – he’s developed well and is coming off a spectacular World Championship showing with the United States that earned him a spot at their Olympic orientation camp. He’ll be under contract through the 2032-33 season and can walk to unrestricted free agency upon expiry.

Getting Nazar’s extension out of the way now isn’t just about him, though. Chicago has two other big-ticket RFAs next summer – Bedard and new No. 1 goalie Spencer Knight – who will take serious resources to extend. They still have barely over $40MM in allocated cap hits for 2026-27, though, leaving them with virtually unlimited spending power under a projected $104MM cap.

Image courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet first reported the Blackhawks were signing Nazar to a seven-year extension. Bleacher Report’s Frank Seravalli reported a more accurate cap hit in the $6.6MM range.

Snapshots: Blackhawks, Mittelstadt, Chelios

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New Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill spoke at length to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times about his philosophy to steer the team out of its rebuild in an interview published Sunday.

That will revolve around making Chicago’s young forward group more backcheck-oriented. “The reason for that is, one, it’s a work-ethic indicator,” Blashill said, “…it’s one of the best ways to create transition offensive opportunities — by being smothering in your effort to come back as forwards. That allows your [defensemen] to gap up, create turnovers and go the other way.”

As Blashill states, that style of play should better suit one of the league’s youngest defense groups that’s heavily stocked with offensive-minded players. Doing so should help accentuate the strengths of names like 2022 No. 7 overall pick Kevin Korchinski, looking to get back on his feet after spending most of his sophomore professional season with AHL Rockford.

Blashill also clarified the responsibilities of his assistants. Anders Sorensen, staying on as an assistant after ending last season as their interim head coach, will manage the team’s defensemen. Incoming assistants Michael Peca and Mike Vellucci will both work with the forward group, while Peca oversees the penalty kill and Vellucci oversees the power play.

More from around the league this Sunday evening:

  • A tumultuous run for Casey Mittelstadt might continue. While the Bruins acquired him from the Avalanche at last year’s trade deadline in exchange for Charlie Coyle, the organization isn’t deadset on keeping him long-term and would listen to trade interest, James Murphy of RG reports. Mittelstadt was the most widely known portion of their trade return, but Boston’s focal point in the return for sending Coyle to Colorado was picking up the signing rights to forward prospect Will Zellers, a league source told Murphy. The 2024 third-rounder had 71 points in 52 games for the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers last season and will kick off his freshman year with North Dakota in a few weeks.
  • As the KHL’s Kunlun Red Star rebrands to the Shanghai Dragons, defenseman Jake Chelios won’t be staying with the team, per Anton Panchenko of Championat. The former Red Wings rearguard and son of Hall-of-Famer Chris Chelios had played for Kunlun since the 2019-20 season, ranking as the franchise’s all-time leader in games played. That was long enough for him to obtain Chinese nationality, allowing him to suit up for the country at the 2022 Winter Olympics, 2022 Division 2A World Championship, and the 2023 Division 1B World Championship. The 34-year-old had just five points and a -25 rating in 31 appearances last season, though.

Blackhawks Leaving Roster Spots Open For Prospects

at CDT | by 13 Comments

With a wealth of financial capital last offseason, the Chicago Blackhawks were one of the busier teams on the free agent market, signing Tyler Bertuzzi, Teuvo Teravainen, Laurent Brossoit, Alec Martinez, and Pat Maroon, among others, to supplement their young core. The Blackhawks showed slight improvement, increasing from 52 points in the 2023-24 season to 61 points in the 2024-25 campaign.

In late May, Chicago named Jeff Blashill as the new head coach and took an entirely different approach this offseason to supplement their roster. At the time of writing, the Blackhawks have only added André Burakovsky through a trade with the Seattle Kraken and signed Sam Lafferty on the free agent market. The lack of movement was a little surprising, given that Chicago had more than $20MM in available cap space heading into the summer months.

Ultimately, this was by design. In a recent interview with Tracey Myers of NHL.com, Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson acknowledged that the team would not make many moves this offseason to keep roster spots open for some of their younger talent to graduate. When asked about his lack of offseason moves, Davidson said, “Trading for Burakovsky, I think Lafferty was more so a reaction to the market where we can get someone we know, a little shorter term, a little more flexibility there. And then we didn’t want to put any players in front of some of the young guys that we do think are ready.”

Even though he only added a few NHL-caliber players, Davidson still doesn’t believe there are enough spots available for every young player they’d like to see at the NHL level. The fourth-year General Manager said, “Now we have enough young players that there aren’t enough spots for all of them to play, so there will be battles there and they’ll keep each other accountable, keep each other honest on earning spots here in the NHL. But we do feel that a couple of them are ready to really take a role and run with it and be a positive impact on the team.”

The Blackhawks possess an impressive amount of young talent. Outside of Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, and Kevin Korchinski, who are already shoo-ins for next year’s roster, Chicago has the opportunity to recall Sam Rinzel, Artyom Levshunov, Oliver Moore, Nick Lardis, Ethan Del Mastro, and Colton Dach, to name a few, to the NHL roster on a full-time basis.

Still, as Davidson noted in the interview, those available roster spots will not be handed to any prospect simply for their accomplishments at the amateur and semi-professional levels. Players will have to compete for their spots on the roster, which could make the Blackhawks more challenging to play against, as nearly every player would be vying for a position.

There’s no expectation that Chicago will compete for a playoff spot this upcoming season, especially in a top-heavy Central Division. Considering that many prospects are close to being recalled, the Blackhawks have opted to delay their roster changes until the regular season rather than making adjustments during the summer months.

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