Once again stuck as one of the worst teams during the regular season in 2023-24, the Chicago Blackhawks have an interesting offseason ahead of them. With an important piece written in stone now that Connor Bedard has confirmed that it is the real deal, the Blackhawks have a lot of flexibility to improve the team this summer.
After failing to win back-to-back lotteries, Chicago will begin its offseason with the second overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. It is common knowledge that the San Jose Sharks will select Macklin Celebrini with the first general election. Still, the Blackhawks are likely to draft a defenseman. Artem Levshunov or forward Ivan Demidov with the next selection, all of whom will be projected as elite players in their own right.
After the NHL Draft, the next important off-season date will be July 1. This is where Chicago can change things in a big way. For their 2024-25 roster, the Blackhawks have 10 forwards, four defensemen and two goaltenders already signed. The team will likely bring back most of its restricted free agents and graduate prospects to the majors, but they will have plenty of cap flexibility to fill the other holes.
Having almost $33MM to play with this summer, General Manager davidson You could have virtually any player on the market, assuming those players wanted to come to the Windy City. In fact, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has already alluded to Chicago sniffing Jake Guentzel‘s camp, and the latter has roots in the American Midwest. If the Blackhawks can convince Guentzel to sign a long-term deal with the organization this summer, that would be a critical piece to place alongside Bedard for the first half of his career.
However, even if Chicago makes serious investments this summer, they will still struggle to earn a playoff spot next year. The Central Division is still projected to be led by the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets next season. Still, the Blackhawks can overtake the Utah Hockey Club, Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues if almost everything goes right.
Landing a big fish or two should make the Blackhawks more competitive for the 2024-25 NHL season and help develop the youngsters now inhabiting the roster. Unlike other rebuilding clubs, Bedard’s presence has allowed Chicago to accelerate its rebuild faster than normal.