With the likes of Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Kirill Kaprizov, Kyle Connor, Martin Necas, and several other high-caliber forwards choosing to remain with their current clubs rather than finding the highest bidder come July 1, the 2026 free-agent class certainly isn’t what the Chicago Blackhawks were hoping it would be.
Considering the slew of cap space they have available, plus the franchise’s aspirations to be more competitive next year, the Blackhawks certainly could afford to dish out money for a high-end player to provide Connor Bedard and Co. with more support. The only problem is that type of top-six/top-nine forward is few and far between in this year’s free-agent market.
A few years ago, summer 2026 had the potential of being a franchise-altering one for GM Kyle Davidson and his rebuild. For that to still be possible, it will likely have to occur through the trade market, as the free-agent route won’t possess the game-changing offensive talent it once appeared to.
With that being said, the Blackhawks are still likely to pursue various options when the market opens in under one month. Even with a crowded forward group that’s set to include Bedard, Frank Nazar, Anton Frondell, Roman Kantserov, Nick Lardis, Oliver Moore, and Tyler Bertuzzi, all of whom are expected to receive prominent ice time, there are potential additions that could help the team improve moving ahead. Even if they aren’t top-tier talents, like those mentioned earlier.
With progress needing to be made in Davidson’s rebuild in 2026-27, he would be wise to add another reliable and proven offensive piece alongside the crop of young talent up front. Andre Burakovsky and Teuvo Teravainen didn’t cut it last year, and it would be risky to put much faith into either again. Their late-season demotions to the bottom six were warranted.
If Davidson wants to put together a more capable hockey team, he needs more capable hockey players on his roster. Yes, the continued development of numerous youngsters figures to help the Blackhawks make strides next season. But to truly ensure there’s growth as a team, he should look to bring in more help on the first day of July.
Here are five potential targets for Davidson in the unrestricted free-agent market this offseason, with contract projections from AFP Analytics included for each player.
Alex Tuch
Alex Tuch, who checked in at No. 1 on Sportsnet’s top UFAs of 2026 and was third in TSN’s top-30 UFA list, is unquestionably the cream of the crop among all forwards who could hit the open market. Whether he does or not remains to be seen, but the Buffalo Sabres have some tough financial decisions ahead. According to PuckPedia, the Sabres have just under $12 million in cap space for 2026-27, while Tuch, Zach Benson, Peyton Krebs, and Beck Malenstyn all need new deals. They can’t bring them all back, and Tuch will be the most expensive, leaving the door open for the Western New York native to depart his hometown organization.
If Davidson is searching for a legitimate top-six weapon in free agency, Tuch is the sure-fire best option that could be available. With a 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame, he’s the perfect blend of size and skill that the Blackhawks have been missing. Tuch has netted at least 33 goals and 66 points in three of his past four seasons and is also a capable penalty killer. He moves well for a player with his frame and has 79 games of Stanley Cup Playoff experience under his belt.
The two biggest potential holdups for the Blackhawks regarding Tuch are his age and the contract he’d command on the open market. There have been reports that he’s seeking a deal that’s similar to what forward Adrian Kempe signed with the Los Angeles Kings, which is an eight-year contract with a $10.6 million cap hit. That would be a lot of money to commit long-term to someone who just turned 30 on May 10.
It’s worth pointing out that if Tuch were to sign with another team, the maximum term he could receive is only seven years. Buffalo can offer the most lucrative deal because of the eighth-year option, although it doesn’t seem like the two sides are heading in that direction.
For a seven-year contract, AFP Analytics projects Tuch’s value at $10.1 million per year. Considering he’s the top UFA forward of the bunch, it’s reasonable to expect someone could cough up even more than that to reel him in this summer. As for whether the Blackhawks will be that club, there might be too much risk involved here for Davidson’s liking. But without any better options in free agency, paying a premium for Tuch should be considered. That’s the price of improving an NHL roster in this market.
Bobby McMann
After Tuch, perhaps the next most attractive UFA forward on the market for Davidson is winger Bobby McMann, who tallied a career-best 29 goals and 46 points this past season with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Seattle Kraken. McMann is among the fastest straight-line skaters in the league and has great size at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds. He’s also potted 20 goals in back-to-back years while being utilized in a middle-six role.
McMann isn’t the offensive power forward that Tuch is, but he’s certainly more physical and is the quicker/shiftier player between the two. His high-end pace would mesh well with the Blackhawks’ current forward group, while the added sandpaper fills a need down in the lineup.
A late bloomer, McMann’s two best NHL seasons have come at 28 and 29 years old. He’ll turn 30 in less than two weeks, and as one of the top forwards set to hit the market, he’s going to be looking for a raise from the $1.5 million cap hit on his last deal. This will be McMann’s ultimate opportunity to cash in, and he surely recognizes it.
For a four-year contract, AFP Analytics projects McMann’s value at $5.3 million per year. Davidson likely won’t want to sign a soon-to-be 30-year-old McMann to a contract carrying four years of term, but that’s expected to be what it takes to land him this summer.
If the Blackhawks end up losing winger Ilya Mikheyev in free agency, McMann could be a worthwhile replacement. He doesn’t provide the same defensive/PK expertise as Mikheyev, but he’s a high-motor middle-six winger who’s capable of scoring goals.
Anders Lee
Anders Lee has spent his entire 14-year NHL career with the New York Islanders, but that could change in the next month. The long-time Islanders captain and the organization reportedly remain far apart in extension discussions, and there’s growing belief that now is the time for both parties to move on. Thats notable for the Blackhawks, who were rumored to have tried acquiring Lee over half a decade ago.
While Lee will turn 36 just two days after the free-agent market opens this summer, he remains a remarkably durable and effective goal-scoring power forward at this stage of his career. He’s missed only seven games combined over the last five seasons and has scored at least 19 goals in all of them.
Lee doesn’t bring quality skating to the table along with his size like Tuch or McMann, but he provides a physical presence and is a bull to deal with below the circles. He’s also an incredible leader of men and would be a terrific locker room addition for the Blackhawks’ young group. He’d be an attractive bottom-six target for Davidson for many reasons, even at this age.
According to AFP Analytics, Lee’s value for a three-year contract is $6.6 million per year. That feels like a relatively steep price to pay for a player who will be 38 when the deal ends, but Lee’s size, skill, physicality, and leadership would be helpful moving forward. Davidson is likely willing to offer Lee more money for taking less term, should he want to sign with the Blackhawks in the first place.
Beck Malenstyn
Tuch isn’t the only member of the Sabres who fits the Blackhawks’ forward needs. Beck Malenstyn’s size, speed, and physicality as a fourth-liner could also be intriguing to Davidson, considering he wants his team to be tougher to play against.
Malenstyn doesn’t offer much offensively, with just 24 points (11G, 13A) in 157 combined games for Buffalo over the last two years, but he knows his role and plays it well. With a 6-foot-3, 210-pound frame and blazing speed to go along with it, Malenstyn can be a thorn in the side of his opponents by flying around the ice and throwing his weight around. He racked up 42 hits in just 13 postseason games for the Sabres while averaging only 10:30 of ice time per match. During the regular season, Malenstyn was fifth in the NHL with 282 hits.
With the departures of Colton Dach and Nick Foligno at the 2026 trade deadline, the Blackhawks don’t have many forwards left in the organization who consistently hit and play with an edge. Malenstyn does just that, and he’s not going to cost a premium in free agency.
For a three-year contract, AFP Analytics projects Malenstyn, who turns 29 in February, to receive a $2.63 million cap hit. That’s a relatively fair price for everything he provides down in the lineup. He also clocked the fastest top speed in NHL history last season, which should be attractive to Davidson for a cheap fourth-line target.
Michael McCarron
If the Blackhawks are looking for someone to protect their young players on the ice moving forward, Michael McCarron could be a prime fourth-line target this summer. Dach, Foligno, and Connor Murphy are no longer around to stick up for teammates and answer the bell in fights, but McCarron would fill that open spot nicely.
Similarly to Malenstyn, McCarron wouldn’t be brought in for his offensive production. The 17 points he recorded in 74 combined games for the Nashville Predators and Minnesota Wild in 2025-26 were the second-most he’s had in a single season during his eight-year career. Instead, it’s all about his gagantuan size (6-foot-6, 232 pounds) and knowing how to use it.
McCarron was 19th in the NHL with 205 hits last season and dropped the gloves seven times, tied for ninth-most in the league. He’s an instigator, a pest, and can also be the sheriff, often holding players accountable for their actions, whether they agree with it or not. He’s as gritty and scrappy as they come — and won’t cost very much.
For a two-year contract, AFP Analytics projects McCarron to receive a $2.04 million cap hit. Considering the Blackhawks could use more sizeable and feisty depth pieces down in the lineup, McCarron has the traits to find himself on Davidson’s radar in free agency.
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