Grading the Blackhawks’ 2026 Offseason Moves – The Hockey Writers – Chicago Blackhawks

“I believe there is a lot of value [in] just getting your guy and bringing them into your group.”

General manager (GM) Kyle Davidson said that to the media after he was asked about overpaying for defenseman Bowen Byram. 

Davidson had his busiest offseason as a GM so far. The three biggest moves were bringing Byram into the organization, extending Connor Bedard, and signing Patrick Kane; how did Davidson do, and what grades do those three moves deserve? 

Byram Trade and Extension 

The week of the draft was tipped on its head when the Blackhawks sent a package to the Buffalo Sabres headlined by the fourth-overall pick and defenseman Louis Crevier for Byram. It was, and still is, a hefty price to pay for Byram, but the potential of the deal is there. A defenseman was going off the board at fourth overall anyway; Davidson thought, why not get an experienced yet still young defender at 25 to help out the likes of Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel? 

Then, the extension came in: six years, $12.5 million average annual value (AAV), $75 million in total, making him the highest-paid defenseman in the NHL. That is a lot of money to pay for someone who still has to prove he can be a No. 1 defender. In Colorado, Byram was behind Cale Makar, and in Buffalo, he was behind Rasmus Dahlin. Coming off a career-high 42-point season, an even better campaign is on the horizon for Byram with the new increased role in Chicago, as he’s now the No. 1 and will be quarterbacking the first power-play unit. If Byram turns into what the front office thinks he can be, when Quinn Hughes and Makar’s contract comes in, it’ll look like a steal. Davidson better hope Byram is as good as he thinks he is; he has a lot riding on this. 

Trade Grade: C+ 

Extension Grade: B-

Bedard’s Monster Contract 

Bedard got his first big payday in the NHL when he signed a five-year, $75 million contract that takes him to unrestricted free agency (UFA). It was the most anticipated thing heading into the offseason, and while it took a little while, there was no scare from the Blackhawks or Bedard’s side into getting a deal done. Even the Leo Carlsson $18 million AAV offer sheet, which made him the highest-paid player in the league at the time, didn’t sway anything. Macklin Celebrini, a couple of weeks after Bedard signed his deal, signed an extension with the San Jose Sharks to make him the highest-paid player in the NHL at $18.8 million over five years, which takes him up to being a UFA (same as Bedard). 

Bedard, coming off a career year – his first 30-goal season and a career-high 75 points – is the face of the franchise and future captain of the team. He will miss the first couple of months of the season due to surgery he had on his shoulder over the summer, but when he’s back, he should pick up right from where he left off. Getting him at $15 million per season with the cap rising is a steal, and looking at other contracts, he also took a pay cut to give the Hawks more wiggle room with cap space. It was tidy work by Davidson, and Bedard proved he truly wants to win with the Blackhawks and that there’s nowhere else he’d rather be. 

Grade: A

Kane Returning to the Blackhawks

This is the feel-good story of the offseason for the Blackhawks, as Kane signed a two-year, $16 million deal to return to Chicago. It was down to the Sabres and Blackhawks, and Kane ultimately ended up choosing to come back home. Kane said that a phone call with owner Danny Wirtz helped sway his decision, as he went down memory lane with him. It’s a massive switch from where the team stood in 2023, when they shut the door on any hope of a Kane return. 

Kane had 57 points in 67 games last season, showing that even with the hip surgery, he can still play at a high level. He’s not too motivated to hustle back to play defense as he’s 37 years old, but his offensive game is still strong. He’ll be a help in the top-six, and will help Anton Frondell, Nick Lardis, Roman Kantserov, and Frank Nazar — all of the young guns, especially with Bedard injured — to start the season. $16 million is a lot of money, but the benefits are worth it; plus, that money wouldn’t be used for anything else over the next two years anyway. They aren’t going to need or miss it; may as well give it to Kane. 

Grade: A–

Other moves were Ian Cole and Cole Smith being signed on July 1, and Drew Commesso signing a two-year contract extension with the Blackhawks. Overall, it was a good offseason, and they look to improve on what they built going into September.