Ahead of Monday\u2019s 4:00 p.m. (CT) deadline, the Chicago Blackhawks issued qualifying offers to four of their six pending restricted free agents \u2014 Connor Bedard, Drew Commesso, Ethan Del Mastro, and Kevin Korchinski.<\/p>\n
The Blackhawks have now effectively retained the rights to the four players past the expiration of their entry-level contracts, which comes this Wednesday, July 1. Dmitry Kuzmin and Ryan Mast, two minor-league defensemen, did not receive qualifying offers, making them unrestricted free agents.<\/p>\n
Little late to the party here, but the #Blackhawks<\/a> extended qualifying offers to Connor Bedard, Drew Commesso, Ethan Del Mastro, & Kevin Korchinski.<\/p>\n Dmitry Kuzmin & Ryan Mast did not receive qualifying offers, making them unrestricted free agents. pic.twitter.com\/FuKzVBkueq<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Jack Bushman (@JackBushman2) June 29, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Bedard is obviously the most significant name in the bunch, as his second contract with the Blackhawks has still yet to be signed, with July swiftly approaching. But the two sides are slowly starting to make progress, with Bedard\u2019s agent telling Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times<\/a> last week that negotiations have finally picked up.<\/p>\n Ultimately, it\u2019s still unknown whether Bedard is looking for a short-term (3-4 years) or long-term (7-8 years) deal and what his cap hit will be. Reports suggest it will be between $13-16 million, depending on how many years he signs for. However, both parties have remained rather tight-lipped throughout the process, as there hasn\u2019t been much of any information leaked.<\/p>\n Considering Comesso, Del Mastro, and Korchinski have yet to establish themselves as full-time NHLers, they\u2019re each expected to sign short-term contract extensions with the Blackhawks. All three will presumably receive a slight raise from their entry-level deals.<\/p>\n For more Blackhawks news, visit Chicago Hockey Now<\/a> and like our Facebook Page<\/a>.<\/p>\n Follow us on X:<\/p>\n