The Chicago Blackhawks entered free agency as one of the teams with the most money available to spend. They had over $20 million in cap space, which can go a long way in the NHL. After the first waves had come and gone, leaving the free agency period virtually over, the Blackhawks hardly touched any of that money.
They had the young pieces and money to spend, which typically means veteran pieces are added to take the core to a new level. That’s not what Chicago did, though. They opted to basically stand pat in free agency and in trades, only making a smattering of small moves. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman revealed why.
NHL expert shares why the Chicago Blackhawks sat out of free agency
Last year, the Blackhawks did what everyone felt they would do in 2025: signed veterans to aid the young players and fill out a hopefully more competitive roster. It didn’t work out that way, as Chicago was still the second-worst team in the league.
Because of how things went with those vets from last year, the Blackhawks ultimately made a conscious choice not to engage. Friedman said, “The Blackhawks weren’t exactly thrilled with how things went with some of their veterans last season and just decided we’re not doing that again; I’m not surprised they were pretty quiet.”
Management didn’t like how that plan went, so they’re aiming to utilize the prospects and young players, like Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar, instead of veterans. This would explain why they ultimately never even tried to sign players like Nikolaj Ehlers or Brock Boeser.
The Blackhawks had the money and the roster spots for stars like that who fit the mold of what Chicago was expected to look for. They just opted not to go after anyone, and filling out the roster with aging veterans on short-term deals didn’t go as well as they’d hoped, so they just saved the money.
This may not help them get much better in 2025-26, but it will keep them out of bad contracts and give all the young players plenty of time on the ice to continue developing.
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