The Chicago Blackhawks have enough forwards to feel good about where the roster is headed, but that doesn’t mean they should stop hunting for more offense. If there’s a chance to add help before training camp, it’s worth at least taking a hard look.
That’s where Patrik Laine comes in.
The free-agent winger is still out there looking for his next NHL home, and Chicago could be one of the teams that makes sense. Laine was taken second overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2016 NHL Draft, then went on to spend time with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens.
At his peak, Laine looked like one of the league’s most dangerous young scorers. He finished second in Calder Trophy voting to Auston Matthews after scoring 36 goals as a rookie, then piled up 44 the next season and 30 in his third year. He added 28 goals in 68 games in his fourth season before the league shut down because of COVID-19.
That first stretch was elite stuff: 139 goals in his first 305 NHL games. After the league returned for the 2020-21 season, though, the production leveled off. He was traded, the goal totals stopped coming in the same kind of bursts, and his place among the NHL’s top scorers faded.
Still, the finish line hasn’t been reached yet. Laine has three 20-goal seasons since then, including one as recently as 2024-25. Over his last 186 games, he has 74 goals, which is nothing to shrug at.
The 2025-26 season was a rough one, though, since he played only five games and never really got rolling.
Even so, there’s enough here to think he could still bring real scoring punch if he arrives at camp healthy and ready. He’s 28, and his best weapon remains the same one that made him so dangerous in the first place: the shot. The skating may not be what it once was, but the wrist shot and slap shot still carry serious weight.
Chicago has room for that kind of finisher in its top six. With Connor Bedard, Patrick Kane, and Frank Nazar setting the table, Laine could end up with plenty of high-danger looks at even strength.
He would also fit on the power play, where the Blackhawks could use him as a shooter on either unit. Keeping him away from Anton Frondell on the man advantage would give Chicago two major one-time threats to work with. It’s the kind of move that would deepen the lineup right away.
And Laine isn’t just a pure scorer. He has 198 assists in his NHL career, so there’s more to his game than the reputation that follows his shot.
There’s also a Finnish connection that could help. Teuvo Teravainen is another Finnish-born forward on the roster, and that kind of familiar face can matter when a player is trying to settle in.
Money could be part of what makes this interesting, too. Laine likely wouldn’t cost much, which turns the idea into a low-risk, high-reward play. Chicago could get a lot of goals for relatively little, and even a PTO would give them a shot at adding a proven sniper if he’s healthy enough to win a spot.
At 28, Laine still fits the profile of a player who could rediscover his game. In hockey terms, that’s hardly old.
In Other News...
Blackhawks Suddenly Face A Big Penalty Kill Debate
The Blackhawks head into the offseason with one of those quiet questions that can turn loud in a hurry: what happens to a penalty kill that was among the leagues best a year ago after several of its most important pieces are gone? Chicago still has reasons to feel encouraged after finishing last season second in the NHL on the kill, but the units success was built on more than one player, and the roster looks different now after the departures of Jason Dickinson, Connor Murphy, Ilya Mikheyev and Louis Crevier.
The organization has tried to patch things over with additions such as Ian Cole, Bowen Byram and Jordan Greenway, but replacing the chemistry and reliable minutes from that short-handed group is never simple. The expectation around the league is that the penalty kill will slip some in the 2026-27 season, and for a Blackhawks team trying to keep building momentum, even a modest drop could matter in a big way when the margins tighten. [Read more 🡒]
Roman Kantserov Could Change How Dangerous The Blackhawks Offense Looks
Roman Kantserov is still waiting on his NHL debut, but the Blackhawks already sound ready to give him a serious runway when he arrives in 2026-27. The 21-year-old forward has built his case overseas as a high-end scorer, and Chicago views him as more than just another young name in the pipeline. General manager Kyle Davidson has pointed to Kantserov as a player who can add real offense, which matters for a club trying to make the most of its emerging core.
The fit is what makes the possibility especially intriguing. Chicago has already started imagining how Kantserov could slot into the lineup around Connor Bedard, with Patrick Kane also part of the offensive picture, and that kind of support could ease the transition for a player coming from the KHL. Kantserov has acknowledged the chance to learn alongside established talent while adjusting to the NHL, but the bigger question is how quickly he can turn that promise into production once he gets to Chicago. [Read more 🡒]
Ian Cole Gives Blackhawks Fans One More Reason To Watch Early
The Blackhawks added Ian Cole on a one-year deal with a clear purpose in mind: steady the blue line and give a young defensive group a veteran they can lean on. Chicagos front office has pointed to his durability and experience as part of the appeal, and Cole arrives with the kind of resume that usually matters most on a team still sorting out its future. For a club trying to build structure while developing talent, a seasoned defenseman can be just as important off the ice as he is in his own end.
Cole also comes with a nearby career milestone that will be worth keeping an eye on as the season opens. He is on the doorstep of 1,000 NHL games, a marker that speaks to longevity, health and a role that has kept him in demand for years. It gives Blackhawks fans one more early-season reason to follow along, even as the bigger questions about how this defense settles in will take longer to answer. [Read more 🡒]