The Blackhawks would love to re-sign Bedard for eight years, the maximum still allowed before Sept. 16, when the limit becomes seven years<\/a>, and probably in the $12 million-to-$13 million range per season. If Bedard comes in under $15 million a year on a long-term deal, the Blackhawks would be thrilled. Bedard could ask for 14 to 15 percent of the 2026-27 salary cap<\/a>, regardless of how many years are attached to it \u2014 meaning $14.56 million to $15.6 million per season. That\u2019s what stars often get. If the Blackhawks can lock him at that number for many years, that percentage will obviously shrink as the cap increases. Sidney Crosby\u2019s famous $8.7 million cap hit<\/a> was originally 15.34 percent of the cap, but dropped to 9.11 percent when he agreed to that number again in his last contract<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cYou want to build a deep team. You want to build a team you feel is a championship roster, which is why we do this. So, we want to get it right. You want to make sure both sides feel like there\u2019s common ground there. So, we\u2019ll get down to finding that shortly,\u201d Davidson said last week. \u201cBut certainly, we want to make sure we\u2019re more than fair, while also understanding that there is a finite amount of money to go around to spend on our roster \u2014 again, while being fair to a very good, elite young player.\u201d<\/p>\n 2. Win the draft lottery<\/p>\n The Blackhawks are guaranteed a top-four draft pick in June. They should be able to get someone with a bright future there regardless, but the No. 1 pick would obviously open up their options.<\/p>\n The belief is that the Blackhawks would like to draft Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg, both wingers. If the Blackhawks win the lottery, there will likely be an interesting debate on which player to take. The second pick would be welcomed, too, of course. Now, if they pick third or fourth, draft experts think one of those two wingers could still be on the board, but it would largely come down to the decisions the teams ahead of the Blackhawks make. Additionally, there are plenty of quality defensemen in the draft who could be selected in that top-four range, depending on the team.<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t sound like the Blackhawks want to trade their first pick this year. They could receive an unexpected proposal, but they\u2019re likely to make the pick. They have only one first-round selection this year, as of now, and they would prefer it to be their last top-five pick for some time.<\/p>\n \n When will Roman Kantserov come to North America? (Maksim Konstantinov \/ SOPA Images \/ LightRocket via Getty Images)<\/p>\n 3. Sign prospect Roman Kantserov to an entry-level contract for next season<\/p>\n Some Blackhawks fans caught that Davidson was quite vague when asked last week about adding Kantserov to next season\u2019s team. I think it has less to do with Davidson\u2019s concern that Kantserov won\u2019t come over to North America and has more to do with not wanting to talk about it too publicly just yet. Kantserov has also been quiet about himself. Once the KHL playoffs are over, there should be more clarity.<\/p>\n I\u2019d be shocked if Kantserov doesn\u2019t sign with the Blackhawks for next season. He probably wouldn\u2019t have signed his contract extension with Metallurg if he had known it would win the Gagarin Cup in 2024. Beyond that, everything is so teed up for the Blackhawks. He\u2019s likely to get every bonus available<\/a> to him in an entry-level contract. He has an NHL coach quite familiar with his game and ready to hand him a top-six forward spot, probably even on the top line. He\u2019ll also join a team a little further in its rebuild, and he can play with a fourth-year Bedard instead of a less-polished version. The Blackhawks would never say it themselves, but it will be a massive disappointment if Kantserov doesn\u2019t sign to play in Chicago next season.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2253988517-scaled.jpg\")
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