What a Successful 2026 Offseason Looks Like for the Blackhawks

With the 2026 NHL Entry Draft coming up and the first bit of NHL offseason activity upon us, I started to think about what a successful offseason would look like for Chicago Blackhawks general manager (GM), Kyle Davidson.

The Blackhawks haven’t made the playoffs since the 2019-20 season and haven’t recorded a season with more than 80 points since the 2018-19 season. They need to make some improvements with Connor Bedard’s entry-level contract, which is set to expire without a playoff appearance.

Here are a few things I’m looking for from Davidson to make what needs to be a busy offseason a successful one.

Solve Bedard’s Contract Problem

This is something I wish were solved on July 1, 2025, but this is where we’re at now, and this is what the first order of business is. Bedard is a restricted free agent (RFA), and there really hasn’t been much reputable reporting around the contract discussions between both parties.

I know it’s early, and I may be getting ahead of myself, but they can’t let this linger into training camp. We’ve seen multiple star players and their teams have their relationships split due to contract discussions; considering the latest example of Dylan Larkin’s contract negotiation starting to sour the relationship between him and the Detroit Red Wings, the Blackhawks need to handle this situation with some care.

If they could lock up Bedard to a long-term seven-year deal, I could see the annual average value (AAV) coming in around 14 to $15 million. The salary cap is exploding, and while that number might be a little rich for some, in three or four years’ time, that number will look more than reasonable.

Although the Blackhawks should want a long-term extension, I could see Bedard preferring a shorter-term extension of around four to five years. As mentioned, the cap is exploding, and if he wants to maximize career earnings, a short-term extension is how he would do it.

A four-year deal would get the AAV down to around $10 million compared to the $14 million a long-term extension could cost.

Either way, this needs to be done before training camp and as smoothly as possible. With such a big season ahead, this situation can’t drag on.

Add a Defenseman

The Blackhawks have an incredibly young defensive core with players such as Artyom Levshunov, Alex Vlasic, Sam Rinzel, and Louis Crevier.

While I’m not asking Davidson to trade for a big-name veteran defenseman or sign someone like John Carlson, I would like to see them make a move for someone with a little bit more experience.

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram has been recently reported as being on the market. With the amount of draft capital the Blackhawks have, I’d love to see Davidson put together a package for Byram.

He’s obviously a flawed player, but there is some serious offensive upside there.

In other articles for The Hockey Writers, I targeted Olen Zellweger and Mario Ferraro as two other defensemen I’d like to see Chicago take shots on. Zellweger is a lower-risk, young puck-mover, while Ferraro is a free agent and would be a huge help defensively for the young defence corps.

They can’t go into the season with the pairings as currently constructed. Throwing a bunch of young defensemen together and hoping they all find their game isn’t going to help anyone.

Adding a Middle-Six Forward

I have the same concerns with the group of forwards the Blackhawks project to ice next season. I’m more optimistic with the young forwards than the defensemen, but the reality is they still need help.

I’m excited to see the Blackhawks run out a first- and second-line center of Bedard and Anton Frondell, but the forward corps is still full of guys trying to find their way in the NHL.

Tyler Bertuzzi, Teuvo Teravainen, and Ryan Donato all have a good amount of experience, but that Donato contract is looking rough, and Teravainen had a 23-point drop off from the 2024-25 to the 2025-26 season. Davidson needs to beef up this forward group to support the young players, as well as some of the prospects who haven’t broken through yet.

One of the names that has been brought up is Matthew Knies, who is obviously more than just a middle-six forward. The price is high on him, but he would be such a perfect fit to support Bedard as well as playing throughout the whole lineup. Earlier this season, I did an article on why Knies would be so perfect in Chicago, and the points are still relevant now.

Another player I’d like to see the Blackhawks take a swing at is Mason Marchment. He’s a free agent who is a perfect third-line option as a physical player who can drive the net, create chances, and is a pretty good skater for his size.

The Blackhawks could also look to bring in Anthony Mantha, who I think burned a lot of money after a poor showing in the playoffs. Although his playoffs were poor, he was extremely effective for the Pittsburgh Penguins during the regular season, posting 33 goals and 31 assists for 64 points in 81 games. I’m assuming a team could get Mantha on a deal for about three years with an AAV around 3.5 to $4 million. He could provide some scoring support for the rest of the lineup and help raise the Blackhawks’ floor.

With the free agent market being pretty weak this season, the Blackhawks may need to be more active in the trade market. As the offseason goes along, names should become available, and there should be a better idea of fits.

If Davidson can sort out these three problems, I’d be pretty happy. Having the fourth-overall pick should help big time, but these three things are crucial as well.