With 33 games left in the season, the Chicago Blackhawks find themselves six points out of a playoff spot in a crowded Western Conference. It’s a tough hill to climb, no doubt-but not an impossible one.
Monday’s 2-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets snapped a three-game skid and offered a glimmer of hope. The question now facing general manager Kyle Davidson isn’t whether the Blackhawks can make the playoffs this year-it’s whether he should stay the course or start selling off assets at the trade deadline.
And here’s the thing: it’s not time to sell.
Why Standing Pat (or Even Buying) Makes Sense
Traditionally, when a team is on the outside looking in-especially a young one-they lean into the rebuild, stockpile picks, and look toward the future. But Chicago isn’t in that phase anymore.
They’ve already laid the groundwork. Connor Bedard is here.
The core is young, talented, and starting to get NHL reps. This isn’t the time to retreat-it’s the time to build.
Nick Lardis is just beginning to break into the league. Anton Frondell is still developing in the system.
These are the kinds of players you want growing in a competitive environment, not one where the front office is waving the white flag. The Blackhawks don’t need more draft picks-they need to start assembling the kind of lineup that can push for a playoff spot now and be a real threat in the near future.
That doesn’t mean chasing rentals. This team isn’t one piece away from a Cup run.
But it does mean targeting players with term-guys who can be part of the next phase of this franchise. The upcoming free agent class isn’t exactly loaded, so the trade market might be the best place to find those pieces.
Just look at what the San Jose Sharks did, acquiring Kiefer Sherwood from Vancouver. It’s a move that signals intent-not to win now, but to accelerate the rebuild.
Like Chicago, the Sharks have a young core with top-end talent up front, highly drafted defensemen, and promising goaltenders. They’re not waiting around.
And neither should the Blackhawks.
The Bedard Window is Open-Use It
One of the most valuable assets in hockey is elite talent on an entry-level contract. That’s what the Blackhawks have in Bedard.
But that window doesn’t stay open long. Once Bedard comes off his ELC, the financial flexibility that comes with it disappears.
That’s why this stage is so crucial. It’s the perfect time to add depth and build a supporting cast around your star before his cap hit balloons.
The Blackhawks didn’t quite have the roster ready when Bedard arrived. That’s not ideal, but it’s also not the end of the world.
They’ve still got time to maximize his ELC, and that means being proactive now. Waiting another year could mean missing the window entirely.
The Trade Market is Starting to Take Shape
The Western Conference is still a logjam, but we’re beginning to see some movement. The Canucks have started selling.
The Rangers are reportedly heading in that direction. Columbus has already fired a coach.
St. Louis has struggled all season.
And Winnipeg, despite being a tough opponent, hasn’t had the kind of year they expected.
As more teams fall out of the race, the market will open up. That’s when Davidson needs to be ready to strike.
The Blackhawks don’t need to go all-in, but they do need to be aggressive. There’s an opportunity here to add meaningful pieces without sacrificing the long-term plan.
Cap Space and Draft Capital: Chicago’s Secret Weapons
Let’s talk numbers. The Blackhawks have a projected $13.4 million in cap space this season and even more flexibility next year. With the cap expected to rise to $104 million, Chicago could be looking at $47.58 million in projected space for 2026-27.
Of course, that number will come down. Bedard is a restricted free agent this offseason, and his extension will be significant.
Colton Dach is also due for a new deal. Veterans like Nick Foligno, Jason Dickinson, Ilya Mikheyev, Sam Lafferty, Connor Murphy, and Matt Grzelcyk are all unrestricted free agents, and Davidson will have decisions to make there.
But even after accounting for those moves, the Blackhawks will still have plenty of room to maneuver. They’re not locked into any bad contracts, and they’ve got flexibility most GMs would kill for.
Then there’s the draft capital. Chicago holds five picks in the first two rounds of the upcoming draft, including two firsts (their own and Florida’s) and three seconds (their own, plus picks from Toronto and the Islanders).
That’s an arsenal. Davidson can make a move for a legitimate piece and still hang onto his own first-rounder.
The Bottom Line
The Blackhawks have the cap space, the draft picks, and-most importantly-the young talent to start turning the corner. This isn’t the time to sell. It’s the time to build.
Davidson doesn’t need to mortgage the future, but he does need to start shaping this roster into one that can compete. The Bedard era is already underway. Now it’s about surrounding him with the right pieces to make sure it’s a successful one.
The playoffs might not happen this year-but the foundation for next year’s push and beyond can start right now.