Blackhawks Must Take New Approach In 2026 Offseason

But just because a lot of the roster spots seem set for next season, it doesn’t mean there won’t be any changes.

General manager Kyle Davidson mentioned in his exit interviews that they will continue to explore what’s out there this summer and are willing to see what they can do to add to the team via trade and/or the UFA market.

The era of the Blackhawks signing six free agents (like they did back in 2024) may be over. So, additions will likely be more quality-based.

Which brings us to the second option.

Should the Blackhawks Finally Go For A Big Acquisition?

We know Davidson is open to exploring his options, and there have already been reports of him trying to land some big names, like insider Elliotte Friedman, who reported them pursuing Jake Guentzel before he signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and there were reports of interest in Matthew Knies at the trade deadline.

But is this the summer they actually get the big fish?

Davidson did mention their assets, saying, “We feel very, very strongly that we have a lot of meaningful prospects that aren’t here in the NHL, and we’ve got a great asset based in the draft, and to the extent that teams are interested in those pieces? Then, you know, we’re willing to talk. We’re willing to see what’s out there and see what we can do to add to this group. So yeah, like, you can’t close yourself off. I think that’s just a disservice to your team and your organization. And you have to look for meaningful ways to improve, and we’re certainly going to canvass and see what’s out there.”

It seems like the rumors keep coming with reports linking the Blackhawks to Knies, Jason Robertson, and others.

Insider Frank Seravalli said one of his bold offseason predictions is that the Blackhawks will trade multiple first-round picks for a difference-maker.

It seems like all eyes will be on the Blackhawks to be bolder this summer.

Obviously, a lot would have to go right for the Blackhawks to pull off a big move, and Davidson stated that they are far more active in their attempts than people may think.

But now is the time to pull something off. It seems likely the Blackhawks will be better next season, as they learned a lot on the fly, and you would expect improvement from that. Especially because they had 11 more points than last season. Continued player growth should be beneficial for them, but I’m not sure that alone will be enough.

They are in a prime position to take a swing, and it’s not like Davidson hasn’t taken swings before- like when drafting Mason West in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft, which he called taking a “Grand Slam Hack.” The stakes are different here. The Blackhawks could be on the cusp of something great, but they still have significant gaps, as my colleague Gail Kauchak pointed out, including their struggling power play and finishing games.

I think Davidson was right when he noted, in part, “…And so, we need to take another step forward. We took a nice one this year, but you know, the league doesn’t wait around for anyone, and so these young players have to continue that development and translate that to more wins on the ice.”

The league doesn’t wait around, and Davidson shouldn’t, either. They’re not wrong to be patient with their rebuild, want to be precise with whoever they add, and not jeopardize themselves long-term. However, the hard truth is that the league won’t wait around for the Blackhawks to fully develop. Every NHL team will look to get better this summer.

Blackhawks Summer Boost

The Blackhawks have a lot to be optimistic about with the team they are building, and they all said as much in their exit interviews. They’re also getting another top-four pick in the NHL Draft this summer. But they could use an extra boost.

Maybe that will just come from the players themselves, who are all hungry to turn the tides.

As Bedard said, “You know, I talk about wanting to win. We all want to win. I want to win here, you know, for as long as I’m playing. But at the end of the day, I have so much faith in the management, the coaching, and also our players. Like, we get to see each other every day. How we approach the game, how guys practice, how much skill there is. So, you know, I would go to bat for any single guy in that room and argue that they’re going to reach their full potential just because the mindset and work ethic that we have in our group.

“So, I couldn’t be more confident that we are going to get to where we want to get to, and it’s going to be a fun journey. You know, I think that’s what people say they look back on is kind of growing up together, and then get better and better, and we’re motivated to do that.”

Or maybe a boost could also come from potential summer moves.

But overall, this summer has to be different.