The Dallas Stars put an end to the Jason Robertson standoff, at least for the moment, by getting him signed to a one-year, $12 million contract and steering clear of arbitration. There’s no signing bonus attached, so the entire deal is salary.
General manager Jim Nill held his line on price and got the agreement done, but the story isn’t finished yet: Robertson will be an unrestricted free agent after the season, and he remains eligible to sign an extension after Jan. 1.
Elsewhere in the league, the Utah Mammoth made a major commitment of their own, locking up defenseman John Marino on an eight-year extension worth $6.75 million per year. According to PuckPedia, the contract begins with a full no-movement clause in 2027-28, shifts to a no-trade clause from 2028-29 through 2030-31, and then changes to a modified no-trade clause for the final four seasons.
That includes a 16-team no-trade list from 2031 to 2033 and an eight-team list for the last two years. Marino has been a steady 5-on-5 defender, but an eight-year commitment for a 29-year-old could get tricky down the stretch.
There’s also a contract fight brewing in Columbus. Elliotte Friedman reported that the Blue Jackets goaltender’s side opened arbitration talks at $7.5 million, while the team came in at $2.8 million. The two sides can keep negotiating until the arbitration hearing on Thursday.
Back in Chicago, the Patrick Kane conversation keeps humming along. Justin Lynch said Kane would be the ideal wingman for Connor Bedard, and Kyle Davidson added fuel during an appearance on Toronto radio. He didn’t get into specifics, but his remarks sounded like the Blackhawks are leaving the door open.
"We'll await his decision....but he knows our door is always open." 👀
Davidson’s comments came after plenty of chatter around Kane’s future, and the topic was also a major part of yesterday’s episode of the CHGO Blackhawks Podcast, where the discussion centered on what kind of deal would make sense if Chicago were to bring him back.
Spencer Knight also made the rounds on NHL Network to help promote the 2026 Shoulder Check Showcase, which is set for July 30 on NHL Network and will feature some of the league’s top names.
Tracey Myers appeared on NHL Network as well to talk about Connor Bedard’s new five-year extension, calling him the franchise’s future and saying, "This is your guy moving forward, this is the guy who's going to be the new Patrick Kane." 👀
On the AHL side, the Rockford IceHogs added defenseman Tommy Budnick on a one-year contract. Budnick, 22, spent four seasons in the OHL before turning pro. Last season, he posted three goals and 15 points in 43 ECHL games with the Wheeling Nailers.
And a quick look back: on this date in 1952, the Blackhawks bought the contract of Detroit Red Wings star Sid Abel. He played 42 games over the next two seasons and became the last full-time player/coach in NHL history, staying behind the Chicago bench through the 1953-54 season. Then in 2008, the Blackhawks and Red Wings joined the Chicago Cubs and the NHL in announcing that the two teams would meet at Wrigley Field in the 2009 Winter Classic.
Birthday roll call for July 22: Gerry Desjardins and Mike McNeill.
In Other News...
Connor Bedard Just Sent A Powerful Message About The Blackhawks
Connor Bedards latest comments offered a little more than the usual offseason optimism. The Blackhawks center pointed to a tighter group, one that stays in touch all summer and has grown closer as the roster has been reshaped, with additions like Roman Kantserov and Bowen Byram helping give the team a different look heading toward 2026-27. For a franchise still trying to climb back into relevance, hearing its best player talk about the chemistry and the direction matters almost as much as any move on the ice.
Bedard also framed the season ahead in simple terms: Chicago wants to be a playoff team. He said he is comfortable with his contract and sounded energized by the teams progress over the summer, which is the kind of message the Blackhawks have been hoping to hear from the player around whom everything is built. The bigger question now is whether that confidence turns into the kind of season that finally shows the rebuild is starting to bend the right way. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks May Not Be Done Adding Edge To Their Blue Line
Chicagos offseason overhaul on the blue line already has a different look after the trade for Bowen Byram and the additions of Jordan Greenway, Cole Smith and Ian Cole, but the work may not be finished. The Blackhawks have spent the summer trying to add more structure and bite to a defense that has been in need of both, and the next move could come in the form of another veteran presence with a very different style from the players already in the mix.
One name still hovering around the conversation is a big, physical defenseman who would bring size and a shutdown edge to the back end, along with some penalty-kill utility if he lands in the right spot. He also comes off a season that showed more offense than usual for him, which only adds to the appeal for a team looking to round out its roster, though whether Chicago actually makes the signing remains an open question. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Get An Early Verdict On Sacha Boisverts Next Step
Sacha Boisverts first taste of NHL life came late in the season, after he turned pro following his sophomore year at Boston University and joined the Blackhawks for a brief run. The young forward got into seven games and chipped in a goal and an assist, mostly in limited fourth-line minutes as Chicago took a closer look at where he stood in his development.
The early read, though, is that Boisvert still has some growing to do before he can push for a full-time role in Chicago. His college path already hinted at a player still finding his footing after a strong freshman year at North Dakota and a quieter second season at BU, and the Blackhawks have a clear next step in mind as he continues to build out his game and body for the pro level. [Read more 🡒]