What’s Next for the Chicago Blackhawks?

Connor Bedard needs a new contract, and the Chicago Blackhawks could look to be aggressive this offseason

Daily Faceoff: David Pagnotta, when asked about the Chicago Blackhawks and what’s next for them. Connor Bedard needs a new deal, likely a mid-term deal. They’ve got some picks and prospects they could move, as it’s looking likely they’ll be aggressive this offseason.

Irfaan Gaffar: “Let’s talk about the Chicago Blackhawks, because they’re at an interesting time right now with obviously a Bedard extension at some point. You know, you’re going to have to see that here. But beyond that, they’re young nucleus of talent and also down the pipeline, like they have so much draft capital if they really wanted to go and make moves. What’s, what’s next for the Chicago Blackhawks here?

Pagnotta: “Yeah. I mean, obviously, as you said, the Bedard extension is kind of a sidebar to this, because that’ll get done in some fashion, and it wouldn’t surprise me if that’s a mid-term type of extension where it takes him to the last year of eligibility to be an RFA before going to UFA status.

And that’s going to be a lot of money. $13-14, maybe $15 million. So you’re going to allocate a good chunk of your cap space, which is close to $40 million or $30 million, something like that, going into next season. But you have him locked in, and you’ve got Anton Frondell there too. That’s a hell of a one-two punch up the middle for this group.

And you know, Kyle Davidson, their GM, kind of suggested this, or alluded to it, hinted at it. Some people in Chicago, others has have as well, that they’re going to be very aggressive this season.

We talked last week about San Jose and how aggressive they’re going to be with respect to the blue line. The priority is shoring up the blue line and finding new D to add to that group. Someone who’s a veteran piece with term, and then somebody who’s younger and controllable, but already at the NHL level.

Chicago is doing similarly, but up front, on the wings. They want to incubate this growth period that they’ve got with these guys, with the young guys up the middle, in Frondell and Bedard, and bring them pieces that work that, that can work with them.