Blackhawks, Ducks Must Weaponize Salary Cap Space

The Anaheim Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks were two of the worst teams in the NHL during the 2024-2025 season. With the offseason hitting a cooling off period, both organizations feel like they are in a better position entering the upcoming campaign. Each has improvements to make, but they also hold a distinct advantage over the rest of the league.

According to PuckPedia, the Blackhawks and Ducks currently hold the most salary cap space. The Blackhawks have just over $22 million in available space with 20 contracts on the likely active roster come the 2025-2026 campaign. The Ducks have a whopping $28.9 million in available salary cap space, and only have 19 projected roster spots filled.

That salary cap space is a coveted asset, and both organizations must weaponize it accordingly. Look at contending teams like the Vegas Golden Knights or Montreal Canadiens, who both must find a way to clear north of $5 million in salaries to become cap compliant. The defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers, are nearly $4 million over the cap ceiling.

If the Hawks and Ducks can remain patient, they will be able to take advantage of one of these teams on the edge. They may not feel the pressure of becoming cap compliant at this point in the summer, but as training camp and the preseason draw closer, these teams will be banging down Anaheim or Chicago's door to take on one of their contracts.

That's when they strike. With all of the leverage, they can push for higher draft pick compensation to go with taking on a bigger contract. If they want to find talent to add to their own lineups, they could take care of two things at once in a potential trade.

Take the Panthers, for example. They have multiple players that could help Chicago or Anaheim as they try to take the next step and return to contention. Forwards like Evan Rodrigues and Eetu Luostarinen stand out as potential attractive trade candidates. Similarly, the Golden Knights have players like Zach Whitecloud, Brett Howden and Keegan Kolesar with no trade protections and decent value around the NHL.

The Blackhawks and Ducks remain unlikely contenders for the Stanley Cup, but there's reason for optimism. With young cores trending in an upward direction, they have the chance to weaponize their salary cap space to improve their rosters and accelerate their rebuilds.