July 1 brings the start of NHL free agency, but this year’s market is short on headline names. The class doesn’t have the usual star power, and there’s a real chance it ends up being one of the weakest groups in years. That sets the stage for a busy day around the league - and for the Chicago Blackhawks, it’s a day to watch closely.
One place the Blackhawks could look is the unrestricted free agent pool. Three UFAs in particular were highlighted as fits for Chicago, and the discussion around possible targets also came with some speculation on where other top free agents and trade candidates might land. That conversation included Mason West and Vaclav Nestrasil on the CHGO Blackhawks Podcast yesterday.
West also picked up another notable nod. He was one of 47 players invited to Team USA’s World Junior Summer Showcase Camp, which will take place from July 26 to Aug. 1 in Windsor, ON.
There’s also a bit of Blackhawks history tied to July 1. On this date in 2009, Chicago made what stands as the greatest free agent signing in franchise history when it brought in Marian Hossa on a 12-year, $63.3 million deal. Hossa went on to be a major piece of three Stanley Cup championships.
The Blackhawks’ birthday roll call for July 1 includes Les Ramsay, Mike Eastwood, and Adam Berti.
Around the NHL, the Panthers made a major move to address their goaltending situation, sending forwards Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist, and Ben Steeves to the New Jersey Devils for Jacob Markstrom and Angus Crookshank.
The Blues also got active. St. Louis placed Jonathan Drouin on waivers to buy out the final year of his contract, then later signed Jonatan Berggren to a one-year, $2 million deal after not extending him a qualifying offer.
Bobby Brink followed that same path, landing a one-year, $2.75 million contract from the Minnesota Wild after not receiving a qualifying offer.
Two veterans are also set to hit the market once free agency opens. Mats Zuccarello and the Wild did not reach an agreement, and the move comes as a casualty of Kirill Kaprizov’s new $17 million cap hit. Anders Lee, meanwhile, told the Islanders he is heading to free agency after 14 seasons with the franchise.
Vegas kept moving before the market officially opened. The Golden Knights traded defenseman Kaedan Korczak to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Parker Wotherspoon, with Pittsburgh retaining 50% of his salary. Later, Vegas locked up Jeremy Lauzon with a six-year, $24 million extension.
The Ducks also got in on the action, signing A.J. Greer to a four-year, $17 million contract. That was a player the Blackhawks were said to have interest in, but he wound up elsewhere.
In Other News...
Blackhawks Seem Ready To Make A Massive Byram Commitment
The Blackhawks push to lock in Bowen Byram is starting to look less like a possibility and more like the next major item on the to-do list. Elliotte Friedman reported that Chicago is expected to move quickly on a long-term extension once Byram becomes eligible on July 1, and the interest is clearly mutual. General manager Kyle Davidson has already acknowledged the deal will come with a significant cap hit, which is usually the part of the process that tells you a front office is serious about making a cornerstone-level commitment.
Byrams next contract is shaping up to be the kind of move that says plenty about where the Blackhawks think they are in the rebuild. Friedman indicated the agreement would be long term, and Davidsons stance on Byram as an elite, star-level defender suggests Chicago is prepared to pay accordingly. With the price point expected to land in elite company among NHL blue-liners, the real question is not whether the Blackhawks want him, but how far they are willing to go to make sure he stays. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Enter A Summer Where Free Agency Has To Mean Something
The Blackhawks are at the point in their rebuild where summer can no longer be treated like a placeholder. After years of stockpiling young talent and waiting for the next wave to arrive, Chicago now has to start shaping a roster that can support a move from promising to competitive. That means the front offices free-agent decisions matter a little differently now, because the next additions are not just about filling minutes, they are about defining the kind of team this becomes.
What makes this offseason especially interesting is that the fit has to work on both talent and timeline. Chicago still needs help on the back end and some punch up front, and the market offers a few players who could bring those elements without forcing the club into a total overhaul. The question is less about whether the Blackhawks can identify useful veterans and more about whether they are ready to spend in a way that says they expect those veterans to help right away. [Read more 🡒]
Chicago Fans Are Ripping Wrigley Crowd For Crossing A Line After Win
A wild night at Wrigley Field ended with the kind of finish Chicago fans have come to expect from this Cubs team, as the home side pulled out another walk-off win over the Padres. It was their 10th walk-off victory of the season, a number that says as much about their staying power as it does about the way the ballpark tends to turn every late inning into a full-stage event.
What followed after the celebration, though, left plenty of Cubs fans shaking their heads. Video and reactions from inside the crowd showed some people crossing a line in the aftermath, drawing immediate pushback from other fans who saw the scene as flat-out disrespectful and not what Wrigley is supposed to be about. [Read more 🡒]