The Blackhawks will try to add a talented forward or two this offseason, but they won’t be as busy as they have been in the last several.
General manager Kyle Davidson has made it clear he’s searching for quality over quantity. After signing seven new players on the first day of free agency last summer, he likely will do much less on the free-agent market this summer. He already might have handed out his biggest new contract by re-signing forward Ryan Donato to a four-year deal with a $4 million salary-cap hit.
Instead, the Hawks think the trade market is the better bet for cost-controlled additions because the skyrocketing salary cap has created a unique environment around the NHL. They already made one trade Saturday for Kraken winger Andre Burakovsky.
Here’s a guide to what summer might bring:
Buyout
The Hawks have initiated the buyout process on veteran defenseman T.J. Brodie, who had one year left under contract. His 2024-25 season was disastrous, so this is no surprise.
The buyout doesn’t create any major cap savings. The Hawks will incur a $3.233 million cap hit in 2025-26 and a $258,000 cap hit in 2026-27 as a result, according to PuckPedia. That’s because most of Brodie’s cap hit stemmed from a guaranteed signing bonus.
But the buyout does free up a contract spot and allow Brodie to explore other opportunities elsewhere. It leaves the Hawks with roughly $22.5 million in cap space.
Draft
Chaos came unexpectedly in the last two drafts, but it is expected this year because the draft class is weaker and opinions about it vary widely from team to team.
The first round will take place Friday, with an ESPN production in Los Angeles but each team drafting from its home city in the first decentralized format. The second through seventh rounds will be completed Saturday.
The Hawks seem to be choosing between forwards Anton Frondell and Caleb Desnoyers with the No. 3 overall pick. If another team had the pick, however, Porter Martone and James Hagens also would be considered.
The same is true for every other top-10 pick, meaning surprise selections that deviate substantially from the consensus rankings are likely. It’s not even certain — although it is probable — that the Islanders and Sharks will use the top two picks on Matthew Schaefer and Michael Misa, respectively. Rumors have surfaced recently about the Sharks also considering Frondell.
And then there’s the possibility of trades. The No. 3 pick wouldn’t be entirely off-limits if the right deal arose. The Mammoth’s No. 4 pick is also reportedly available, among others.
In terms of Frondell vs. Desnoyers, Frondell is bigger (204 pounds to 180) and has a higher offensive upside, whereas Desnoyers is more consistent and has a higher defensive upside and a more defined position (center).
The Hawks also have the Maple Leafs’ first-round pick (25th overall), two seconds (34th and 62nd), one third (66th), two fourths (98th and 107th), one sixth (162nd) and two sevenths (194th and 197th).
Trades
With their abundance of picks in this draft, five more in the first two rounds of the 2026 draft and a prospect pool — particularly on defense — with more promising players than could fit on one NHL roster, the Hawks have plenty of assets to dangle in trade negotiations.
They didn’t have to use any of them to acquire Burakovsky, sending depth forward Joe Veleno to the Kraken in exchange. The hope is that Burakovsky, 30, can rediscover his former self.
He used to be an efficient scorer with the Avalanche, topping out at 61 points in 2021-22, and his 13.3% career shooting percentage is impressive. But he’s on an overpriced contract — $5.5 million cap hit for two more seasons — and has only 53 points in the last two seasons combined.
As Davidson shifts his focus elsewhere, the big question is, who is available on the market? And which of those players are being shopped by teams interested in what the Hawks have to offer?
The Sabres’ JJ Peterka, the Stars’ Jason Robertson, the Canucks’ Elias Pettersson and the Avalanche’s Martin Necas — four relatively young, productive forwards in the rumor mill — are worth pursuing if they’re available. But they won’t be easy to acquire.
Because the Penguins are the only team truly rebuilding this summer (and therefore definitely interested in picks and prospects), Bryan Rust also might be worth considering, even though at 33 he doesn’t really match the Hawks’ timeline. The Predators’ Jonathan Marchessault falls into this boat, too.
Meanwhile, two Hawks who theoretically might be traded are forward Lukas Reichel and defenseman Connor Murphy, each of whom has one year left under contract. If Murphy is dealt, the Hawks might look to acquire a different veteran defenseman; they ought to have at least one.
Free agency
The free-agent class this year features one of the best players to hit the open market in former Leafs star Mitch Marner, but it’s a relatively underwhelming crop after him.
Besides Marner, Stanley Cup winners Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad are joined by Nikolaj Ehlers, Brock Boeser and John Tavares atop the group. The Hawks will make inquiries about those guys, but they won’t end up in Chicago unless one is unexpectedly affordable or interested.
Beyond that, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Hawks make a couple of lesser signings, such as a veteran role model and/or enforcer in the Pat Maroon/Alec Martinez mold. But they intend to preserve most roster spots for young players.
Qualifying offers, which are required to retain the rights to restricted free agents, are due June 30, and the ‘‘free-agent frenzy’’ starts July 1.
The Hawks’ restricted free agents are forwards Philipp Kurashev, Jalen Luypen, Antti Saarela and Aku Raty, defensemen Wyatt Kaiser and Louis Crevier and goalie Arvid Soderblom.
Their unrestricted free agents are forwards Andreas Athanasiou, Cole Guttman, Brett Seney and Zach Sanford.
Because the Hawks already signed Donato, there’s not much intrigue left here. Kaiser, Crevier and Soderblom likely will be re-signed at fairly low cap hits, keeping them around to compete for spots next season.
Kaiser and Crevier took steps developmentally in 2024-25, but they’ve yet to establish themselves as full-time NHL players. Soderblom will have to hold off prospect Drew Commesso and veteran Laurent Brossoit (if he’s healthy again) for the backup-goalie position.
Kurashev isn’t expected to receive a qualifying offer, which would mean the end of his five-year run with the Hawks. Athanasiou’s up-and-down tenure is also over.
Extensions?
Forwards Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar have one year remaining on their entry-level contracts, meaning they’ll become eligible for extensions July 1.
There will be immediate talk about Bedard, who emphasized in April that he’s committed to the Hawks for the long term, but it’s more likely those extensions will come next summer.
Goalie Spencer Knight, a pending restricted free agent in 2026 after one more year with a $4.6 million cap hit, also will become extension-eligible. That might have higher odds of happening this summer.
Miscellaneous
The Hawks’ prospect-development camp will run June 30 to July 3 at Fifth Third Arena, giving the team a hands-on week with most of their existing prospects and new draft selections.
The 2025-26 schedule will be released July 16. After that, the Hawks can announce events for their centennial celebration.