Free agency is just over a month away, and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July, while many teams also have key restricted free agents to re-sign. We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Blackhawks.
Key Restricted Free Agents
F Philipp Kurashev – As the Blackhawks continue to navigate through a rebuild, holding onto a 25-year-old forward with a 50-plus point season on his résumé makes plenty of sense, and that’s exactly what they have in soon-to-be restricted free agent Philipp Kurashev. But after a breakout 54-point campaign in 2023–24, Kurashev took a step back this past season, managing just 14 points in 51 games. So, who is the real Kurashev? And what is his value to the Blackhawks, or potentially other teams? These are the questions the Blackhawks’ front office must answer as they weigh his next contract.
D Wyatt Kaiser – No pending free agent, restricted or unrestricted, may be more important to the Blackhawks than Wyatt Kaiser, who took a clear step forward this past season. The 2020
third-round pick appeared in a career-high 57 games, recording four goals and eight points, and finishing third on the team with 93 blocked shots. Just as notable, his even plus-minus rating was the best among all Blackhawks defensemen and second-best on the roster overall, behind only forward Ilya Mikheyev’s plus-four. At just 22 years old, Kaiser may be the kind of defenseman the Blackhawks look to sign long-term as they aim to solidify their blue line for the Connor Bedard era.
G Arvid Soderblom – Despite being buried on the depth chart heading into the last season, Soderblom ended the season with more games between the pipes than any Blackhawks goalie. With Laurent Brossoit missing the season with a meniscus tear, and veteran Petr Mrázek being traded at the deadline, Soderblom saw action in 36 contests, compiling a 10-18-7 record to go with a .898 save percentage. While those numbers are unflattering by league standards, Soderblom statistically outperformed Mrazek and Spencer Knight, who came over in a blockbuster trade that sent Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers. Knight appeared in 15 games for the Blackhawks, finishing with a 5-8-2 record and .893 save percentage. While the Blackhawks may like the idea of keeping Soderblom in the mix, they already have $7.8MM committed to Brossoit and Knight next season. If Soderblom is now viewed in the league circles as a legitimate backup, another team could step in with a solid offer.
Other RFAs: D Louis Crevier, D Victor Soderstrom, F Antti Saarela, F Aku Raty, F Jalen Luypen
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
D Alec Martinez – On April 13, the day of the Blackhawks’ last home game of the season, Martinez announced that he would be retiring following the season. A three-time Stanley Cup champion, the 37-year-old was signed last offseason to a one-year, $4 million deal to bring leadership and experience to a young Chicago lineup. And while it’s difficult to measure the impact of his presence in the locker room, Martinez’s on-ice performance left much to be desired. He finished the year with 12 points and a minus-15 rating in 44 games. Martinez will finish his career with 862 games played, 289 points, and, of course, those three Stanley Cups.
F Pat Maroon – Similar to Martinez, veteran Pat Maroon is hanging up his skates after a 14-year career. Back in March, Maroon announced he would be retiring, citing a desire to start a new chapter with his family. He signed a one-year, $1.3MM contract with the team in free agency last summer, and like Martinez, was brought in to provide mentorship and leadership. In 68 games on the season, Marron totaled five goals and 19 points in a bottom-six role. He’ll finish his career with 323 points in 848 games. Like Martinez, he can also boast three Stanley Cups (winning in three consecutive years with the St. Louis Blues and Tampa Bay Lightning).
F Ryan Donato – Donato, coming off a career-best season with 31 goals and 62 points, is among the top centers headed for unrestricted free agency. If the Blackhawks hope to keep him, they’ll likely have to fend off interest from around the league. At the trade deadline, the Blackhawks held discussions with Donato about a possible contract extension and did not end up dealing him for future assets. Sc
ott Powers of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that the deal the team put on the table was a three-year offer worth somewhere around $4MM per season, essentially doubling his expiring contract. Donato did exactly what any player on an expiring contract hopes to do — post career-best numbers and set himself up for a sizable payday. The reported $4MM per season may not be a large enough figure to keep Donato in Chicago.
Other UFAs: F Andreas Athanasiou, F Zach Sanford, F Brett Seney, F Cole Guttman
Projected Cap Space
General manager Kyle Davidson will have plenty of financial flexibility this summer, as the team has nearly $30MM in cap space, per PuckPedia. If the team is serious about keeping Donato and Kaiser in Chicago long-term, their new contracts would certainly put a dent into that space, but would still leave Davidson with ample flexibility to pursue additional free agents.