Introduction to the Blackhawks’ New Season
The 2025-26 Blackhawks will be run by kids. General manager Kyle Davidson has been making that fact — that the Hawks planned to open the dam on the youth takeover next season — clear for months, if the promising prospect-driven finish to 2024-25 didn’t make it obvious enough.
The Start of Free Agency
But now that Davidson did nothing of significance Tuesday during the first day of NHL free agency, that’s not only a likelihood but a reality. There’s no longer anything blocking the view from now to the opening of training camp in September. “We’re heading into a new stage where…we’re leaving open spots in the NHL for some of these young players that we have drafted,” Davidson said. “We’ve seen some of them graduate to pro [hockey]. Now we’ll see some of them graduate into the NHL, or into the NHL full-time.
Recent Trades and Signings
The Hawks’ only moves Tuesday consisted of a small trade for depth forward Sam Lafferty and an even smaller signing of deep-depth forward Dominic Toninato. The speedy Lafferty, now 30, will return to the team where he enjoyed the most effective stretch of his NHL career in 2021-22 and 2022-23. He’s coming off a rough year in Buffalo, where he tallied seven points in 60 games while receiving less than 10 minutes of ice time per game, and has one year left on a contract with a $2 million salary-cap hit.
Market Analysis
Reaction to the Market
Regarding Lafferty, Davidson called it a “reaction to the market” to acquire a known commodity with just one contract year left. Free-agent depth forwards, on the other hand, landed absurdly lengthy deals left and right around the league Tuesday. Case in point: Tanner Jeannot, who seemed like a possible Hawks fit, signed with the Bruins for a whopping five years (with an equally! whopping $3.4 million cap hit).
Roster Breakdown
Defense and Goaltending
The Hawks’ defense, for now, is unchanged from the end of last season. It features one veteran — Connor Murphy — parenting a horde of early-20s guys: Alex Vlasic, Sam Rinzel, Kevin Korchinski, Artyom Levshunov, Wyatt Kaiser, Ethan Del Mastro, Louis Crevier and Nolan Allan. Not all of them will make the team, though. The goaltending duo of Knight and current RFA Arvid Soderblom hasn’t changed, either, although the Hawks will have to figure out what to do with Laurent Brossoit if he’s healthy.
Forwards
Up front, the puzzle is slightly more complicated. The Hawks have eight veterans: Ryan Donato, Teuvo Teravainen, Tyler Bertuzzi, Jason Dickinson, Ilya Mikheyev, Nick Foligno, Burakovsky and Lafferty. The last three aren’t totally guaranteed every-night playing time if they struggle, though. Among the kids, Bedard and Nazar are obviously guaranteed top-six spots. Then there’s the Lukas Reichel conundrum to figure out, as he has been in trade rumors but will more likely than not return for one more back-against-the-wall season.
Conclusion
The Blackhawks are heading into a new stage where they’re leaving open spots in the NHL for their young players. With a quiet start to free agency, the team is focused on giving their prospects a chance to shine. While some fans may be impatient, the organization hopes that once they see the prospects on NHL ice and playing well next season, they’ll understand the vision.
FAQs
Q: What is the Blackhawks’ approach to the upcoming season?
A: The Blackhawks are focusing on giving their young players a chance to shine, leaving open spots in the NHL for them.
Q: What was the team’s activity during the first day of free agency?
A: The team made a small trade for depth forward Sam Lafferty and a small signing of deep-depth forward Dominic Toninato.
Q: What is the current state of the team’s roster?
A: The team has a mix of veterans and young players, with some positions still up for grabs.
Q: What are the expectations for the team’s prospects?
A: The team is hoping that their prospects will play well and help the team succeed, and that fans will understand the vision once they see the prospects on NHL ice.
