The Chicago Blackhawks had another season where they were at the bottom of the league. At the end of last season, they finished 31st in the NHL and were at the bottom of the league in multiple stats. 

However, there was one silver lining: the penalty kill. The Blackhawks finished second-best in the NHL behind the Colorado Avalanche at the end of last season with a penalty-killing percentage of 83.7. At the midseason mark, the Blackhawks were in first. 

Some moves at the deadline and some departures in free agency may derail that momentum, though, as the penalty kill is bound to take a hit in this upcoming 2026-27 campaign.

Key Losses to Penalty Kill Unit 

Jason Dickinson was traded to the Edmonton Oilers at the trade deadline last season. After he was dealt, his absence was felt on the penalty kill. Dickinson logged the most minutes on the penalty kill among forwards and was always in the right place on the ice.

Connor Murphy, a defender, was traded in the same deal as Dickinson. Murphy offered a veteran presence on the penalty kill on the back end and led the team in being on the ice during shorthanded moments. Murphy also tallied 138 blocked shots, never afraid to get in the way of a moving puck. 

Ilya Mikheyev was a trade candidate at the deadline, but the Blackhawks didn’t move him. Instead, he left the team over the summer, signing with the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 1. Mikheyev was the high-motor player shorthanded and was the catalyst in generating offensive opportunities even with a man down, using his speed. 

Ilya Mikheyev Chicago BlackhawksChicago Blackhawks right wing Ilya Mikheyev celebrates his goal against the Dallas Stars (David Banks-Imagn Images)

Louis Crevier was traded to the Buffalo Sabres during the week of the NHL Draft in the blockbuster that saw Bowen Byram come to Chicago. Crevier’s 6-foot-8 towering frame and his long stick to break up pucks were a big part of the success from last season. 

The Blackhawks will miss those four a lot. They all offered so much, and now they’re all gone within a span of three months. 

The Blackhawks Have Work to Do 

This doesn’t mean that the penalty kill is a lost cause by any means. There’s just more work to be done over the offseason to try and get this unit into shape, as there will be a lot of new names. 

Ian Cole was signed to a one-year, $4 million contract on July 1, and will surely be getting shorthanded minutes. He comes in as an addition with the subtraction of Murphy; Cole is 37 years old, so he’ll fill the veteran role not only on the shorthanded side of things, but on 5-on-5 as well. 

Outside of that, the Blackhawks will be looking within the team. Alex Vlasic and Wyatt Kaiser are two defensive-minded defenders who can take over the unit, and mix it in with the addition of Byram and one of Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel, it should be fine. 

When it comes to the forwards, Jordan Greenway, who was acquired in the same Byram trade in June, is going to get a heavy set of shorthanded minutes. Cole Smith, who was brought in on July 1, will be slotted into the penalty kill with the minutes he gets. Nonetheless, it will be a step down from what they had with Dickinson and Mikheyev. Then, you have the young guns, with the reliable, down-the-middle Ryan Greene and the speedster in Oliver Moore. 

Overall, the penalty kill will take a hit, and it won’t be as reliable as it was last season because of key losses. It will take some time to figure out, but even when they do, there is a high chance it will still be underwhelming and not as good as last season. 

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