Kyle Davidson’s Summer of Silence: What It Really Means for the Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks closed the first day of free agency quietly. They acquired Sam Lafferty through a trade, signed free agent Dominic Toninato for AHL depth, and didn't extend a qualifying offer to Philipp Kurashev, who was then signed by the San Jose Sharks. Cole Guttman was also released into the dark seas of free agency and was picked up by the Los Angeles Kings. 

The Blackhawks considered a limited free-agent market and chose not to make any signings, as expected. Despite this, fans expressed their frustration loudly. And that's okay. 

Free Agency Recap

The free agent class wasn't deep. Mitch Marner wanted a winning team; he got traded to the Vegas Golden Knights. Brock Boeser made a surprising decision to stay with the Vancouver Canucks. Nikolaj Ehlers is going to take his time to see what's out there, but there's zero smoke on the possibility of him signing with the Hawks. 

While there aren't "big names" to add, there were certainly players who could make this team better. But is there longevity in signing a player like Mikael Granlund, a 33-year-old center? No, that blocks a spot. Ehlers makes this team better, but he likely wants a contract term greater than what Davidson and the Blackhawks are willing to offer.

Fans are justified in feeling frustrated. Calling fans impatient doesn't address the situation; it turns the discussion into a mess on Twitter. 

Looking at what was available (and technically still is in Ehlers), it's easy to see that there wasn't a ton of value worth adding. You risk signing a veteran player who ideally wants term, a winning team, or both. Then, Kyle Davidson made a trade for Sam Lafferty and Andre Burakovsky. Both are 30-year-old veteran players who, as of July 2, are technically blocking spots from the younger players. 

Granted, neither player is signed to a long-term contract. But this gives us some insight into what the front office expects for next season. 

Is the youth movement really here?