The summer arbitration calendar is starting to take shape, and the biggest names on the board are now set. PuckPedia posted the hearing dates for the NHL’s restricted free agents who elected salary arbitration, with Trevor Zegras scheduled for July 22, Jason Robertson for July 25, Cole Sillinger for July 27, and Kirby Dach for July 30.
While that process moves forward, one former Blackhawks player already has his next contract in hand. Colton Dach, one of the three players the Edmonton Oilers acquired from Chicago last season, signed a two-year, $2.4 million extension on Sunday.
The deal carries a $1.2 million average annual value, and he will still be a restricted free agent when it expires. Connor Murphy and Jason Dickinson had already re-signed with the Oilers before Dach’s new deal was announced.
Around the league, Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press said he “firmly believes” Connor Hellebuyck will be traded this offseason. McIntyre put the odds at 95% that the former Hart Trophy winner opens the season with a new team, and he noted there are multiple reports of mutual interest between Hellebuyck and the Buffalo Sabers.
Back in Chicago, the Blackhawks are still dealing with the ripple effect of Connor Bedard’s injury, which means the young core will have to be ready immediately. Justin Lynch examined which players need to lead the way if the team is going to avoid a slow start to the season.
Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times also took a look at Kyle Davidson’s willingness to go against the analytics crowd and trust his own hunches in the name of long-term success. And Tracey Myers of NHL.com spoke with Sacha Boisvert about his plan to join the Blackhawks’ youth movement in Chicago.
There was also a notable honor over the weekend for Andrew Ladd, who was inducted into the BC Hockey Hall of Fame.
On this date in Blackhawks history, July 13, 1950, Chicago and the Detroit Red Wings completed a massive nine-player trade. The Blackhawks landed Pete Babando, Harry Lumley, Jack Stewart, Al Dewsbury, and Don Morrison in exchange for Jim Henry, Bob Goldham, Gaye Stewart, and Metro Prystai. Babando’s final play for Detroit was the double-overtime goal in Game 7 of the 1950 Stanley Cup Final.
And in another milestone from July 13, 2005, the owners’ lockout that wiped out the 2004-05 season finally ended, with the first-ever salary cap standing out as the biggest addition in the new six-year collective bargaining agreement.
The Blackhawks’ birthday roll call for July 13 includes Ken Mosdell and Jean-Francois Berube.
In Other News...
Why Cole Smith Matters More Than Blackhawks Fans Might Think
Cole Smiths move to Chicago on July 1 was easy to overlook in a busy offseason, but the Blackhawks clearly see more in the 30-year-old forward than a depth addition. After stops with the Predators and Golden Knights, Smith arrives with a little NHL mileage, a college hockey background at North Dakota and the kind of multi-sport upbringing that has helped shape a pro career built on versatility and persistence.
The three-year contract gives him something he has not had much of in his career: stability. It also signals that Chicago believes Smith can fill a need on a roster still being built out, with a role that goes beyond simply adding another name to the forward group. For a team trying to round out its identity, those are the kinds of signings that can matter more than they first appear. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks May Have Found The Blue-Line Weapon Fans Keep Waiting For
The Blackhawks have spent years looking for a blue-line player who can change a game with the puck, and Xavier Villenueve is suddenly the newest name to watch. Drafted in 2026, the 5-foot-11 offensive defenseman has drawn the kind of comparison that gets attention around the league, with his game drawing parallels to Montreals Lane Hutson because of the blend of size, mobility and skill.
Chicago is not rushing the process, either. Villenueve is headed to Boston University to add strength and round out the defensive side of his game, while the organization has made clear it likes the talent enough to bet on the long view. The question now is whether that upside eventually translates into the kind of offensive presence the Blackhawks have been seeking on the back end, especially with other young defensemen already in the system. [Read more 🡒]