With Connor Bedard expected to miss the opening month of next season, the Blackhawks suddenly have a very different-looking forward picture heading into the final stretch of the offseason. That has naturally pushed Kyle Davidson’s next move back into the spotlight, especially with the free-agent market thinning out and not many obvious fits still sitting there.
One name keeps surfacing because of both need and familiarity: Patrick Kane. The three-time Stanley Cup champion is still available in free agency, and the signs point toward his time in Detroit being over after three seasons. A possible return to Chicago has already lit up the rumor mill, and the question now is straightforward - what would a Kane homecoming actually look like for the Blackhawks?
There’s also a Bedard angle that goes beyond the ice. Leo Carlsson’s agents, Matt and Ryan Keator, recently appeared on a bonus episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast with Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas, and they said Bedard’s next deal was one they were watching closely as a comparison point while working on Carlsson’s extension.
That lines up with the broader picture around the three young stars: Bedard, Carlsson, and Adam Fantilli were all waiting to see who would establish the market first. In the end, it was Carlsson, whose deal came through an offer sheet from the Philadelphia Flyers before the Anaheim Ducks matched it.
For now, Bedard remains unsigned, and because of that he could technically be targeted by an offer sheet from another NHL team. Still, there doesn’t appear to be much worry on that front, either inside or outside the organization. Bedard has been clear about his commitment to the Blackhawks since the day he was drafted.
The contract discussion matters because Bedard is due for a major raise, but the Blackhawks may be reluctant to jump straight into a Leo Carlsson-type number. That’s especially notable given the injuries Bedard has dealt with, having suffered three serious injuries in less than four years.
Elsewhere, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler released his annual top 100 drafted NHL prospects list early Tuesday morning, and the Blackhawks showed up in force. Eight Chicago prospects made the ranking, the most of any team, with five of them landing inside the top 65. Even so, the club’s first player didn’t appear until No. 19, which stands out.
Around the league, the Seattle Kraken are still trying to find Shane Wright a new home via trade, and Wright has reportedly identified the Vancouver Canucks as his preferred destination because of their rebuilding nature and the chance to stay close to home.
Two restricted free agents also came off the board on Tuesday. The New York Rangers and defenseman Braden Schneider avoided arbitration with a one-year, $5.5 million deal. Schneider, the 2020 first-round pick, had 18 points with the Rangers in 2025-26 and has settled in as a reliable second-pairing defenseman.
The Buffalo Sabres reached a different kind of resolution with Peyton Krebs, agreeing to a four-year contract with a $4.5 million cap hit. Krebs, a first-round pick by Vegas in 2019, put together a career year in 2025-26 with 12 goals, 27 assists, and 39 points.
The Colorado Avalanche also made a signing tied to a recent move, locking up forward Fabian Lysell for 2026-27 on a one-year deal worth $850,000. Lysell was acquired from the Boston Bruins on June 27.
In Other News...
Patrick Kane Debate Just Got Real For Blackhawks Fans
Patrick Kane is once again sitting in the center of the summer conversation, and for Blackhawks fans, that alone is enough to stir up old memories. After spending last season with the Detroit Red Wings, the veteran winger is a free agent, and the discussion around his next move has turned into a familiar mix of nostalgia and roster logic as teams weigh what he can still bring at this stage of his career.
The list of possible landing spots includes the Buffalo Sabres and the Edmonton Oilers, with Chicago naturally lingering in the background as the reunion scenario that never quite goes away. Kanes next decision will be shaped by more than sentiment, though, because his priorities now are tied to finding the right fit for the final stretch of his career, and there is still no official agreement anywhere yet. [Read more 🡒]
One Blackhawks Prospect Has A Real Chance To Force The Issue
For a Blackhawks team still sorting out the edges of its roster, the most interesting camp battles may come from the prospect group rather than the veterans. AJ Spellacy, Drew Commesso and Marek Vanacker all have a chance to push for jobs as the organization keeps moving young players closer to NHL duty, and each arrives with a different kind of case. Commesso is the most polished of the three, Spellacy is trying to translate his development into a real depth role, and Vanacker is the sort of scorer who can make a staff pause if he keeps showing he belongs.
The challenge for Chicago is that none of those paths is simple, especially when the competition includes established names and the leap from junior or the minors to the NHL is still a major one. Spellacy has to prove he can win a spot in a crowded forward mix, while Vanackers offensive profile gives him a different kind of intrigue if he can carry it into pro pace. Commesso, meanwhile, is the closest to forcing the issue, and the way the Blackhawks handle his next step will say plenty about how quickly they want to lean on this wave of young talent. [Read more 🡒]