Blackhawks News & Rumors: Mikheyev, Frondell, Moore, Kantserov

It’s the dog days of the offseason for the Chicago Blackhawks. We’re all patiently awaiting the 2026 NHL Draft, where the organization holds the fourth overall pick. But there have been a few recent happenings surrounding the Blackhawks. We’ve learned a little more about where Ilya Mikheyev stands as a pending unrestricted free agent. Plus, we have some updates from the World Championships, including Anton Frondell drawing in with Team Sweden. Finally, I give some thoughts on the recent signing of top Russian prospect Roman Kantserov.

Let’s get to the latest Blackhawks news and rumors.

Are Mikheyev & the Blackhawks Parting Ways?

Hockey insider Elliotte Friedman reported in his 32 Thoughts podcast on Monday (May 18) that the Blackhawks and defensive forward Mikheyev will very likely be parting ways. “It was let known across the league that Chicago probably isn’t going to be able to sign Ilya Mikheyev, so his rights are available [for trade] if any team wants to talk to him in advance of free agency.”

While this is a tough blow for the Blackhawks, it also doesn’t come as a big surprise. Mikheyev’s name came up in trade rumors around the trade deadline, but a move never came to fruition. It was also reported the organization made Mikheyev a contract extension offer, but he turned it down. Scott Powers of The Athletic reported he believed the offer was in the $4.75 million range, with two to three years of term (from ‘Where things stand between Blackhawks, Ilya Mikeheyev: Interest and pragmatism’, The AthleticCHI – 5/20/2026).

However, the Blackhawks would certainly like to keep Mikheyev in the fold if they could. At his press conference on Mar. 6, Blackhawks’ general manager Kyle Davidson said, “Mickey is someone that I want to keep around. I really like what he brings to the team. We really appreciate him organizationally. I think he plays a big, big role for us … I like having Mickey as a Blackhawk. He’s a good guy, good family, and we value him a lot.”

But Davidson understands that this is likely the last chance Mikheyev will have to negotiate a lucrative NHL deal. The Russian forward isn’t getting any younger; he’ll be 32 in October. So it makes sense that he would try for the most money and term he can get.

All is not completely lost, though. Mikheyev and his agent are free to explore offers on the open market. Depending on what they find, Davidson can then decide whether he wants to increase his offer, or let Mikheyev go.  

The role that Mikheyev played for the Blackhawks was that of a responsible shutdown forward who also offered an offensive upside. He was also known as one of the best penalty killers in the league. His three shorthanded points (one goal and two primary assists) led the team. His 18 goals placed third and his 36 points fourth last season. He was also the only player to finish the season with a positive plus/minus rating (plus-2).

Can Mikheyev cash in with another team? Or will he end up staying with the Blackhawks? We’ll have to wait and see.

Frondell Suits up for Team Sweden

In other news, top Swedish prospect Frondell joined the Blackhawks for the last 12 games of the 2025-26 season. He exceeded expectations, posting three goals and nine points while also being promoted to second line center and playing on the top power play unit. Frondell showed he’s strong and defensively responsible on top of his offensive upside, and has Blackhawks’ fans excited about his future contributions.

Which is why it was such a surprise when Frondell didn’t suit up for the first three games of the World Championships for Team Sweden. The Swedes were mum about this, not offering any sort of explanation. Some suspected Frondell was suffering an injury, but that was never made public.

After falling to the Canadians, beating Denmark and then losing 4-3 to Team Czechia on May 18, Frondell drew into the lineup versus Slovenia on May 20. He was listed as the 13^th forward, but it didn’t take him long to prove he should be a part of the lineup.

Frondell provided the primary assist on a goal by Robert Hagg and the primary assist on a goal by Mattias Ekholm in the 6-0 shutout win. Below is his assist on the Ekholm goal.

Two assists today for Anton Frondell: pic.twitter.com/AzjwzxcG2i

— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) May 20, 2026

Besides his two helpers, the 19-year-old registered four shots on goal in 14:06 minutes of ice time. I don’t think he’ll be the 13^th forward in the next game.

More Updates From the Worlds

The Worlds is currently in full swing, so here’s more news on Blackhawks participating in the tournament.

Team Sweden

Continuing with Team Sweden, netminder Arvid Soderblom has suited up for two of the team’s first four contests. He stopped 14-of-16 shots in the 6-2 win over Denmark on May 17, and all 16 shots in the 6-0 shutout win over Slovenia on May 21.

Team USA

Oliver Moore is making a positive impact so far with Team USA. The 21-year-old provided the primary assist on a goal by Isaac Howard against Great Britain (5-1 win) on May 17. He also contributed a primary helper against Finland (6-2 loss) on May 18. It was a beautiful effort, showcasing Moore’s speed to set up Matt Coronato for a goal.

Oliver Moore steals in the D-zone and speeds into the O-zone to set up Matt Coronato for a goal: pic.twitter.com/o66kGqtjii

— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) May 18, 2026

Moore was being deployed as the second line center, but the arrival of Matthew Tkachuk to the team displaced him to the fourth line on the wing. This is where he played in the team’s 4-3 shootout win versus Germany on May 20. I’m not sure if that’s the best place for Moore moving forward. Although, he still logged a healthy 14:30 minutes of ice time, so the line deployment might be a bit misleading. We’ll have to monitor this as the tournament progresses.

Defenseman Wyatt Kaiser, on the other hand, isn’t having the same experience. He’s been scratched for two games and is a combined minus-6 in the other two games. Ouch!

Sam Lafferty has played in all four contests, having generated zero points while averaging a little over 8 minutes of ice time. He’s providing some solid depth presence for the team.

Team Finland

Teuvo Teravainen left the first game for Team Finland with an injury and is out for the rest of the tournament. It’s been a tough year for Teravainen, especially since returning from representing Finland at the Olympics in February. He only registered one goal and three points in the final 17 games of the season for the Blackhawks, and finished the campaign playing on the fourth line.  

Team Slovakia

Finally, the Blackhawks’ second-round pick (35^th overall) in the 2023 Draft, goaltender Adam Gajan, has been in net for two wins so far with Team Slovakia. Gajan stopped 23-of-24 shots in a 4-1 victory over Italy on May 17, and 19-of-23 shots in the 5-4 shootout win over Slovenia on May 19.  

Kantserov Is Coming

As Brooke reported last week, the Blackhawks signed Roman Kantserov to an entry-level contract on May 14. The Russian forward was the KHL’s leading goal-scorer last season, notching 36 goals and 64 points.

He should provide an immediate boost for the Blackhawks next season. But the questions remains, just where will he fit in the lineup? Could he finally be the sidekick fans and pundits alike think will unlock a whole new level to Connor Bedard?! Or will he fit in better somewhere else? Regardless, it sounds like head coach Jeff Blashill is excited about this new addition. On Apr. 1 at practice, he discussed what he sees in Kantserov.

When I’ve watched Kantserov, he’s very, very high intelligence, very, very good with the puck, very accountable defensively as well. Looks like a guy who’s got a great give and go game, is really, really smart. I think he can be a big impact guy. And he’s also got a lot of experience now. He’s got, I think, three years of KHL experience, at which he led the league in goal-scoring this year. So he’s a guy that I think can make an immediate impact.

We’ll have to wait until training camp to see where Kantserov is deployed, but it’s exciting to know the Blackhawks have another offensive weapon at their disposal.

That’s all for this edition of Blackhawks News & Rumors. Be sure to keep it here at The Hockey Writers for all the latest news, updates and analysis as the offseason continues.

Is it October yet?!