While Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson’s full-scale rebuild officially began over a full year earlier, the 2023 NHL Draft was his first legitimate opportunity to reshape the franchise’s future.
Not only did Davidson claim a future superstar in Connor Bedard with the No. 1 overall pick in 2023, but three more of his draft choices from that year have helped build the NHL’s deepest prospect pool.
Check out the links for a recent 2023 NHL Re-Draft, where the Blackhawks had four prospects from the draft class selected inside the top 20 picks from the do-over.
Also in Blackhawks news, a former fan-favorite color commentator announced a significant change for his future, and a 2026 draft pick spoke ahead of his debut at the 2026 World Junior Summer Showcase.
Around the league, an update on Quinn Hughes’ negotiations with the Minnesota Wild, the NHL’s top 25-and-under core groups, and a dwindling list of unrestricted free agents.
All that & more in the Daily!
Blackhawks Offseason, News & Trade Rumors
Chicago Hockey Now: If all goes well for the Blackhawks in the next few years, the 2023 NHL Draft will be the time fans look back at and say there was a lightning rod injected into the rebuild. Not only did GM Kyle Davidson draft Connor Bedard, but he also added Oliver Moore, Roman Kantserov, and Nick Lardis with later selections.
In a recent 2023 NHL Re-Draft by The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler, all four of those players were picked inside the top 20. What a haul that year by GMKD. Hit the link for a fun read about some excellent value picks.
As far as Davidson’s most recent draft class, 2026 second-round pick Ryan Roobroeck is currently attending the World Junior Summer Showcase in Windsor, Ontario. Roobroeck and Team Canada play their first game of the event later this evening against Sweden. Here’s a clip of Roobroeck discussing what he’s been up to since getting drafted by the Blackhawks earlier this summer, and how excited he is for the opportunity to show off his talent this week.
More CHN: Initially, the Blackhawks were set to have their top two draft choices from 2026 representing Canada in Windsor. However, that number dropped to one earlier this week, when defenseman Xavier Villeneuve was ruled unable to participate in the event. Here are the details on Villeneuve’s situation.
More CHN: Sure, it’s still July, but the Blackhawks aren’t expected to make any more additions to the roster this offseason, particularly with the forward group. With that being the case, here’s an early stab at where Patrick Kane will fit into the forward lines come opening night, without Connor Bedard in the lineup.
Lastly, Eddie Olczyk, part of the Blackhawks’ family forever, announced that he is stepping away from his duties as Seattle Kraken TV color analyst. “Edzo” decided he wants to spend more time back home with his family in Chicago and will only be part of the broadcast for national games on TNT moving forward. Considering all the time & work he’s put in over the years, he most certainly deserves the right to make this decision. Wishing all the best for Eddie and the Olczyk family, always.
Thank you, Edzo, for helping build our fan base and for sharing your passion for & knowledge of hockey with our fans over the past four years. You are truly one of a kind! pic.twitter.com/RBLtvfsd5y
— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) July 28, 2026
NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now
TSN: Mentioned in yesterday’s Daily was former Blackhawks captain and Minnesota Wild forward Nick Foligno making a pitch for defenseman Quinn Hughes to sign an extension with the organization. Well, just one day later, The Athletic’s Michael Russo claims that GM Bill Guerin is set to meet with Hughes in Michigan this week to try and hammer out that new contract.
Sportsnet: Which NHL teams have the best core group of players who are younger than 25 years old? Sonny Sachdeva lists his top five from around the league, with the Blackhawks being named an honorable mention.
Daily Faceoff: It’s a dwindling list of remaining unrestricted free agents on the open market, but there are still some notable names, including Vladimir Tarasenko, Logan Stanley, and Patrik Laine. Here’s the crop of talent left for NHL clubs to choose from.
ProHockeyRumors: In a recent mailbag, Jeremy Rutherford reported that the St. Louis Blues have shown interest in Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin. Nearly one month into free agency, Nikishin is somehow still one of only 10 NHL restricted free agents that’s yet to sign a new contract. Nikishin has been included in trade rumors this summer, so it will be interesting to see where this goes.
Boston Hockey Now: With Fraser Minten’s entry-level contract expiring at the end of the 2026-27 season, Jack Studley writes the Boston Bruins have a short window to maximize his extension. Minten, 22, is coming off a breakout year in which he tallied 17 goals and 18 assists for 25 points.
Detroit Hockey Now: Detroit Red Wings fans want to know who’s running the show as their team has gone dark since parting ways with GM Steve Yzerman. Kevin Allen weaves through pressing questions in Detroit amidst a disastrous offseason.
Philly Hockey Now: William James from PHN recently kicked off his top prospects ranking series. On Tuesday, he released his take on the top-five prospects in the Philadelphia Flyers‘ organization, with Porter Martone unsurprisingly leading the way.
New Jersey Hockey Now: New Jersey Devils GM Sunny Mehta likes what he has on the back end, and he expects it to look a lot better than it did a year ago. Mehta recently chatted with James Nichols from NJHN and shared why he’s confident in the Devils defense, especially with Luke Hughes back healthy.
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