Among the NHL’s 32 teams, 10 are still heading toward the 2026-27 season without a captain, and the Chicago Blackhawks remain in that group. The club has not yet chosen a successor to Nick Foligno, who was the 37th captain in team history.
If Chicago decides to make that call before training camp opens in about a month, the conversation starts with Connor Bedard. He is the most obvious candidate to wear the “C,” but Patrick Kane is also part of the discussion after his emphatic return this summer. That possibility has even opened the door to the idea of Kane being named captain for the first time in his career.
There’s also new Blackhawks content floating around from the team’s 2025 first-round pick, Mason West. A clip from an interview with West and Michigan State teammate Jack Hextall surfaced on social media on Tuesday, with the two talking about their training routines and what life has been like so far with the Spartans. The full interview has not been released yet.
Around the league, the Vancouver Canucks agreed to terms with a recent first-round pick, while the list of top remaining restricted free agents is still pretty crowded with camp approaching. Patrik Laine’s next move is also still unresolved, though interest in the Finnish winger appears to be building.
Chicago’s 2026-27 schedule is now out, and so is the team’s giveaway and promotional slate for games at the United Center next season. That includes the return of bobblehead giveaways, part of the regular-season festivities already on the calendar.
Elsewhere in the prospect world, Scott Wheeler has updated his preseason top 32 for the 2027 NHL Draft, with defenseman Landon DuPont sitting at No. 1. Wheeler placed five prospects in Tier Two behind him, which points to a tight race for the second overall pick.
On the RFA front, Scott Maxwell broke down the five best unsigned players still waiting on new deals as training camp draws closer. And on the free-agent market, Vladimir Tarasenko remains one of the most notable names still available, with a KHL club now reportedly showing interest in him. Two other NHL unrestricted-free-agent forwards were also mentioned.
The Islanders also unveiled the eight final concepts for their first-ever fan-designed third jersey for the 2027-28 regular season, after receiving 80,490 submissions from fans around the world.
In Philadelphia, Will James looked at whether Porter Martone could become the Flyers’ first Calder Trophy winner in franchise history this season, and what he would need to do to take home Rookie of the Year honors.
And in New Jersey, Daniel Amoia made the case that the Devils’ unusual goaltending plan for next season could actually work. Jake Allen, Nico Daws, and David Rittich are not a true No. 1 on their own, but the front office is banking on that instability turning into an advantage in 2026-27.
In Other News...
Blackhawks Face One Early Test That Could Shape Their Season
A new season usually starts with optimism around Chicago, and this one is no different, even with a familiar veteran back in the mix to help carry the offense. Patrick Kanes return gives the Blackhawks another proven playmaker beside a young core that still has plenty of growing to do, while the blue line is projected to lean on Bowen Byram and Alex Vlasic as its top pairing. In goal, the team is set to sort through Spencer Knight and Drew Commesso, giving the staff a different kind of test as it tries to build something steadier around a roster still finding its identity.
The early challenge is less about ceiling than timing, because the Blackhawks may have to navigate the opening stretch without their centerpiece up front. Connor Bedards recovery from shoulder surgery creates a real opening for others to step forward, and the coming weeks could tell Chicago plenty about which players are ready to handle more responsibility. If the Blackhawks can survive that stretch with structure and a few unexpected contributors, it could say a lot about how far this group has come from simply waiting for its future to arrive. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Playoff Hopes Ride On Growth They Still Need To See
The Blackhawks are heading into training camp with the kind of roster that can still change shape quickly, which is exactly why the next few weeks matter so much. A young group gives Chicago room to grow, and the front office tried to address one of the biggest needs by bringing in Bowen Byram to strengthen the blue line. There is also pressure on players like Kevin Korchinski to take a step forward, because the defense as a whole needs to become more reliable if this team is going to move out of the leagues lower tier.
Special teams will be just as important, especially a power play that needs to become more productive and a penalty kill that has to be steadier. The Blackhawks can point to Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar as part of the next wave, while veterans will need to help set the tone around them, but the larger question is whether the team can turn all that promise into cleaner play and real progress. The talent is there in pieces. The challenge is getting enough of it to show up at the same time. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Blue Line Suddenly Puts Pressure On Two Young Defensemen
Chicagos blue line has already been reshaped in a way that makes the next few seasons look a lot different than the last. With Connor Murphy, Matt Grzelcyk and Louis Crevier gone and Bowen Byram and Ian Cole added, the Blackhawks are staring at a defense corps that is still sorting out its balance, especially when it comes to left- and right-handed fit. It is the kind of roster puzzle that can look tidy on paper and still change once the games start, but it has already created a clearer sense of which young defenders are being pushed into bigger roles.
Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel now sit at the center of that conversation because the lineup math appears to be pointing their way. The way the roster is built, there is a real case for the club to split its top young pieces across the top two pairings instead of clustering them together, which only raises the pressure on both players to handle more responsibility sooner rather than later. For a team trying to build a sturdier back end, that is the sort of choice that can shape not just pairings, but the timeline of the entire defense. [Read more 🡒]