Blackhawks Have Cap Space, But Will They Use It?

Welcome back. All right, so today I’m going to talk about the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks are a team that have been in the midst of a rebuild for quite some time and they very likely continue the rebuild process this season. When you look at this blue line, there’s definitely a need for some additions. Uh, I think some veteran additions would be good and they’ve got the cap space to make additions, but they also uh have to be looking at next year and the fact that Gavin McKenna is going to be available and McKenna uh by all accounts and if you look at all the numbers is going to be a ridiculously good forward in the National Hockey League. So, if you could have Bard and McKenna, I I think Chicago would be quite happy and of course fans elsewhere would be less happy with that outcome. Now, they still have 22,312,000 and no 22,312,24. There, that’s better. Uh, in cap space according to Puckedia. So, the there’s a lot of cap space there for them to make additions. They need to. There’s no rush. There’s going to be teams that are looking to dump players off. Uh, but I don’t think they need anything in the forward group at this point, unless they do try to push towards the playoffs, in which case they will need more in the forward spot. But we’ll start with the left side. Uh Donado, 80 games, 31 goals, 31 assists, 62 points. He made the right decision. So did the team and bringing him back and him extending his time in Chicago. Uh Tyler Bertusi, 82 games, 23 goals, 23 assists, 46 points. That’s probably right around where Batuzzi ends up this year. Maybe his totals end up in the 50 plus point range, but that’s that’s very likely what you’re going to get with Bertusi. Uh they of course still have Nick Felino. They have Lannon Slagger as well for some depth there. Uh, Felino I think has made the right decision to to play in Chicago. Initially at the time I I thought that was a curious decision by him and by the team, but it seems to be working for him. Uh, and then there’s Connor Baddard, the much talked about Connor Bard, and he will be the first line center this year. And if he struggles at center, they move him to the wing again. I won’t be entirely surprised. And I I don’t find that alarming because he hasn’t turned 20 yet. He turns 20 on July 17th. So, at the time I’m recording this, he’s not 20 as of yet. And I think the amount of criticism that he’s taken is a little bit over the top considering he’s not 20 yet. Um, so he played 82 games this past season, 23 goals, 44 assists, 67 points. And considering the amount of points he’s put up as a teenager, it is very, very likely that we see his numbers go up this season. I think point per game that can happen especially if he has better linemates. Uh he is a restricted free agent next summer and they’re working on an extension with him already. The reality is Bard probably signs an 8-year contract. It’s going to be criticized for how much money it costs and then when he has a really good season, everybody’s going to complain that his contract is a bargain and that’s that’s just how that works. Uh but yeah, so Frank Nazar uh second line center. I will say this, Nazar’s development has been fun to watch. Uh 53 games, 12 goals, 14 assists, 26 points. By the end of the season, he was playing really, really well. Uh he’s a restricted free agent next summer, too. And so it would be on be in the best interest of Chicago to get both Nazar and Bernard extended before the season gets started. At least that’s my opinion. Uh because I think both of them have set themselves up for a pretty good season upcoming. Uh Jason Dickinson much quieter offensively this past season than the year before, but I still think 10 to 15 goals. Yeah, you can get that from Dickinson. Uh Sam Lafer has been added. Uh Laferty decent fourth liner. Uh but you’re not going to get a ton of offense from him. Not that that’s necessarily required. On the right side, they have Tavo Terrainan. Uh Terrainan still a good top six forward and a solid move by them. The more curious move is adding Andre Burovski and Burkovsky’s cap hit of $5.5 million which runs till 2027. Burkovsky had his struggles in Seattle. Uh some of those struggles related to the fact he was injured. So if he can stay healthy, Burkovsky could be a really solid pickup for a Chicago team that needs more goals. And if Burkovsky plays well enough, maybe Burkovsky ends up on that top line and Terrain ends up on the second. But we’ll see what happens there. Uh Ilia McKay quietly had a nice bounceback season. Uh 80 games, 20 goals, 14 assists, 34 points. It’s nice to see the puck going in the net for McKay. A struggle he’s had for years prior to this past season. So going to Chicago really helped him. And then there’s Oliver Moore. Now Oliver Moore may be a a wild card in in terms of where he’s going to end up in the lineup. He has a ton of potential, young player obviously. And so does Moore end up in the top top two spot? Does MKV end up on the fourth blind? Does Burkovsky drop down to the third? Uh it’s going to be an interesting season offensively. So, I don’t mind the offensive U group that they’ve got here. I think it’s not bad. Uh for depth, they’ve also got Riel. Uh Riel has had his ups and downs. Tony Nado’s been added for some depth. Colton Doc, uh Joey Anderson as well. So, there’s there’s definitely some depth there. And then other depth players include Van Aker, Del Mastro. when we get to the blue line, Mast Krevier and Allen. So, there’s some good depth all around. It’s just I think they need more veterans. And when we look at this blue line, you’ll see what I’m talking about. Uh, first you got Velic. Velic signed for 4.6 million in terms of his cap hit till 2030. Played 82 games this past season, four goals, 26 assists, which equals 30 points. I’m going to go ahead and change that. You know, the funny thing is I wrote I I do did this board up yesterday. I’ve looked at this numerous times and did not go 4 and 26 do not do do not actually equal 40. They equal 30, but we’ll just shove that aside. Ninja dust and yeah, Vic 30 points this past season, but Vassic impresses everywhere he plays. As in uh when the Chicago Blackhawks are on the road very often, uh Velic impresses other teams fans as well and their announcers. Uh Renzel, nine games at the end of the season, five assists. There’s a lot expected of Renzel, but this is where the lack of of a veteran really shows up. You’ve got Kaiser. Uh Levanov played 18 games, had six assists towards the end of the season. Levanov is going to be an absolutely solid defenseman for them. U you got Kchinsky played 16 games, had a goal and an assist for two points. There’s still some hope that Korchinsky is going to become that really good top four defenseman that they they felt he would be when they drafted him. The one thing with Kchinsky, of course, is did they rush him is is a valid question I think that can be asked. Uh, and then you got Conor Murphy here as well. But I I really think that this blue line, there’s a lot of youth there. And if you include if Krevier is healthy, Krevier can push into a top six spot, too. Um, and Del Mastro as well. So, I I think another veteran blue liner would help. Um, I I don’t know where they’re going to find that or who they’re necessarily going to target. I don’t think there’s anybody left in free agency that necessarily is um is one that would would fix that spot. I think they need another top four uh veteran defenseman, but they can go the trade route since they have all that cap space and there’s teams that need cap space right now. They could go the trade route. Uh the goalending is a bit of a question mark too because Spencer Knight hasn’t been a starter. Uh Spencer Knight was expected to become a starter in Florida. Now he has that chance with Chicago. He had a 58-2 record with Chicago uh after the trade, 896 safe percentage, and he’s a restricted free agent next year as well. So, if Kyle Davidson was so inclined, he could work on Badard, Nazar, and Knight, get all three of them done, and maybe you don’t have to worry about things going forward so much. Uh other than concern about having uh you know, any of these players disappoint and then those extensions don’t look great. But you don’t worry about that so much. Uh Arvid Solder Bloom of course is in arbitration. So whatever happens with arbitration, it’s going to eat into that cap space, but they still have over 22 million in cap space. Uh Solder Bloom 108 and seven record 8.98 safe percentage. I thought he had a decent season. I I know there’s people who don’t like Solder Bloom’s game. The one question mark still out there is Lauren Bruis. He signs a contract with the team. He had two knee surgeries this past season. Didn’t play a single game. He still has that $3.3 million cap hit until 2026. If Brris comes in and is healthy, and that is an if. I couldn’t find anything indicating that Bruis is going to be healthy for training camp or not going to be healthy for training camp. Like I couldn’t find anything saying yes, definitively he’s going to be ready or no, he definitively won’t. But if he is and if he can play, I would think Solder Bloom probably no longer uh exempt from waiverss. And so that might add a little bit of a a wrinkle to this. If Brisco was healthy, there could be some teams looking to bring him in. Uh as an example, even though Mark Andre Flurry’s retired, uh Alan Walsh was saying that there are teams that have called regarding could we talk him out of it. So there are teams that are looking for goalending and Brris could be a decent option for a team as a backup if he’s healthy, if his knee is okay. Uh, and in the event that it is, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get moved, but then that’s another $3 million cap hit. Uh, so either you’re bringing money back in that trade, maybe you’re bringing back a defenseman or you’re getting yourself even greater cap flexibility depending on who you’re trading with. So, Chicago’s at a very interesting spot. They could improve. They could improve a lot uh with the right moves, but they could also see what happens if if they get that best chance at McKenna and whether or not they can win the draft lottery again. So, it’s going to be a very interesting year. Let me know your thoughts. Hit like and subscribe in the event you may not have done so already. What do you think the Chicago Blackhawks will do? Do you think that under new coach Jeff Blashel that we’ll see better results? Um, I I really think the blue line’s going to be different once we reach October. But let me know your thoughts. Hit like and subscribe in the event that you may not have done so already. Thank you guys so much for all your support. I will talk to you again soon.

Chicago’s rebuild is likely to continue for at least one more year with a strong draft class in 2026.

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33 comments

  1. I would like to see a video on developing prospects. Was it really in Bedard's best interests for him to go straight to NHL? With his struggles would it be better for him to play in AHL for a season or 2?

  8. Bedard is going to be surrounded by a culture of failure and accepting mediocrity for quite a bit longer.
    He will be in the habit of being a good loser and accepting being second rate.
    If he's lucky, within this organisation he might have a tad of success once he turns 25-26 years old

    Remember it's a team success game.
    Not an individual game like golf or tennis.
    Apparently no matter who's around him, he's going to get better and better.
    That's not a recipe for success

  12. Rare miss from THG. Sam Rinzel, based on his play last season, could be a Calder favorite—think if Lane H was almost a foot taller.

    I’m not sure that Levshunov is playing full time NHL hockey next year, but Korchinski will likely be. Vlasic is a veteran at this point, as is Kaiser. Murphy is obvious a veteran. There is also Del Mastro, Nolan Allan, and Louis Crevier, who are all capable of playing full-time in bottom pairing roles. No other veterans needed.

    The weakness of the Hawks is they have 2-3.5 top 6 forwards. They desperately needed to sign or trade for at least 2 top 6 wingers this offseason and failed to do that.

  14. No mention of my boy Nick Lardis. He's a dark horse to make the team out of camp, even though I think starting off in the AHL would be best for him. If he keeps developing well like he has been, he's gonna be one of the best snipers in the NHL in his prime

  16. Yes the Hawks have cap space, but now so does everyone else.
    Kinda threw a wrench into K.D,s plans of trading cap space for draft choices and players, which was humming along nicely until now.

  17. The Hawks played much better after the Jones trade and when they went heavy with the youth last season. I say let these young guys cook. They can develop chemistry and gain experience this year win or lose, if anything it'll be entertaining.

  18. It's infuriating that the Hawks have been so quiet about Brossoit. Like, I get it, you want to keep as much information from getting to other teams as possible about injuries and what not, but, KD signs him and he hasn't logged a single game…what's going on?

  19. Yeah it's gonna be another long season. I expect them to be a bottom 5 team again. They would have to improve dramatically in a lot of areas.

  20. If they wanted to expedite Bedard so he didn't feel so alone, grabbing Marner was their best bet. Bedard continues to marinate with mediocre players, except defensively where they have top prospects, some we have already seen such as Korchinski, but it's not signing Sam Lafferty and Mikheyev (who once was a prospect but it's clear the guy cannot score more than 10-13 goals a season). I like the adding of Burakovsky, if he can get back to the player he was in Colorado before injuries and trades to teams with no immediate future (Seattle) and more injuries kind of removed him from the radar.

    They could sign Jeff Skinner purely for offensive power, for not much, with Donato and Skinner, Bedard would have something more along the lines of an actual 1st line in a team that is building up, but building up in an upwards direction instead of marinating and stagnating, vouching for being the worst team possible just for draft picks. Try to lure in Malkin, who unlike Crosby could spend a year or two being a big brother, elite to elite with Bedard. They don't have veterans who are still good enough to be considered 1st liners, ideally they should be able to acquire somebody better than Donato and have Donato end up on the second line, but PP1. I'm not being adding too much cheese in my thoughts thinking the GM should play Chel GM mode some more, but Crosby was quickly given an entourage worth it with older classic players to surround him when he first came up, Lemieux played half a season until his heart could no longer endure it, speaking of a guy giving his everything, after finishing the worst team in the league, if not by points, by pure roster, Lemieux only played 20 games or so in 2003-2004, where Dick Tarnstrom was their best guy due to his deadly PP slapshot. He played 10 games when Crosby showed up and was shown the door to the AHL, because Pittsburgh was busy bringing up prospects and signing veterans, Mark Recchi, John LeClair, even in that first season they didn't have Malkin but Jordan Staal was there and he had his best offensive season right off the bat, likely getting the Calder in any other year. The Hawks were destroyed so quickly after their last cup it's making my head spin, I know the Quenneville incidents happened, but the Q coach wasn't the criminal in the whole thing, although he's now toxic for maybe knowing something and pretending he didn't, with a high 1st round pick guy their video guy completely destroyed mentally, Kyle Beach was supposed to be a superstar, I wonder how many others of their picks who didn't pan out were messed with by that pervert of a video guy?

    Not saying it's all this, even in 20-21 they were still okay with Fleury in net, it's when they decided to trade him and a few other guys that it went crashing down.

  22. THG is kind of burying the lede in this video. Yes, they’re tanking one more season, but they arguably have the brightest future of any team in the league. They’ve had 11 first round picks in the past 4 drafts, and most of them haven’t even played in Chicago yet. Plus, they have other very good prospects.

  23. The draft lottery is such a crapshoot, I find it to be unlikely that the Hawks get number 1 overall, again. Seems to me that they’re due to slide in the lottery, even if they get the best odds.

  24. It's time for several of our lesser discussed young defensemen to graduate and play a full NHL season and one of them will likely need to be moved this season or next off season. I'm speaking of Kaiser, Del Mastro and Allan. In addition to the team wanting some TBD games to go to Levshunov and Korchinski. There isn't roster space for an add'l Dman vet.

  26. Lots of young players that weren't mentioned that could find their way onto the team. With the number of young D they have ready, no need for another vet D. There is a chance one or some of Lardis, Frondell, Thompson, Greene sneak their way into the lineup. They really like AJ Spellacy too. Hawks have a chance to suprise some people with this group.

  30. The criticism that Bedard gets isn't toward him necessarily it is directed toward the fanbase that thinks he is a stone cold lock for HOF. Reality is he isn't at that level and may never get there.

  31. Pass on another vet blue liner, too many has beens in Chicago last year, it’s the kids time now.

    Rebuild is in a great place, save the cal space for all the young studs you’re going to need to pay in 1-2 years. Let’s go hawks

  32. Ending up with McKenna would be a great consolation prize but that should not be the goal for this season. I would much rather see the young guys on the team take a big step forward and make Chicago a more attractive place for free agents

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