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New York Times
a day ago
- Business
- New York Times
Blackhawks offseason primer: What to expect from NHL Draft, free agency, buyouts
It's been two months — 65 days, to be precise — since the Chicago Blackhawks last played a game, with Frank Nazar scoring off a Connor Bedard feed to beat the Ottawa Senators in overtime. But technically speaking, the NHL offseason just started. With a crowded roster, a jam-packed prospect pool, two first-round draft picks and more than $25 million in cap space, general manager Kyle Davidson has plenty of significant decisions to make in the days, weeks and months ahead. Here's a look at what to expect and when to expect it. Advertisement The buyout period begins Friday, 48 hours after the end of the Stanley Cup playoffs, and runs through June 30. The Blackhawks will be active at this time. It's almost a certainty they'll buy out defenseman T.J. Brodie, who struggled in his first Blackhawks season and was scratched for the last six weeks as younger players such as Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel cracked the lineup. A Brodie buyout would only save the Blackhawks $516,667 on the cap next season and would cost them $258,333 on the cap in 2026-27, but the savings aren't the point. It's about clearing Brodie's roster spot and doing right by a veteran who could find a more substantial role elsewhere. Another possible buyout candidate — though far less certain — is bottom-six center Joe Veleno, acquired from the Detroit Red Wings in the Petr Mrázek trade. Buying out the last year of Veleno's contract would save nearly $1.5 million against the cap next season, but again, it's more about clearing roster space. The Blackhawks will be nowhere near the cap. There's no urgency to part ways with Veleno, but the more active the team is in free agency and trades, the more likely a Veleno buyout would become. Typically, the following season's schedule comes out between the Stanley Cup Final and the opening of free agency, though last year's came on July 2. The two most interesting dates for the Blackhawks will be the first time Joel Quenneville comes to the United Center as head coach of the Anaheim Ducks and the first time Jonathan Toews plays in Chicago as a visitor with whichever team signs him this summer. At some point this summer, the Blackhawks will unveil their full centennial celebration schedule, as well. The Blackhawks took care of their biggest pending unrestricted free agent Wednesday by re-signing Ryan Donato to a four-year extension with a $4 million cap hit. The Blackhawks added a year of term from their original offer at the trade deadline. Advertisement It was the easiest and probably most cost-effective way of ensuring they have another top-six-caliber forward on next season's roster. There aren't a ton of those players in this year's free-agent class, and they won't come cheap with the cap increasing. Donato was second only to John Tavares in goals last season among pending free agents. Trading for that type of player also isn't easy, especially when the Blackhawks mainly have draft capital to give up in exchange. As for the team's pending restricted free agents, the Blackhawks are expected to qualify Louis Crevier, Wyatt Kaiser and Arvid Söderblom and are not expected to qualify the others, including, most notably, Philipp Kurashev. The Blackhawks enter this year's draft with 10 selections. They have two first-round picks (third and 25th overall), two second-round picks (34th and 62nd), one third-round pick (66th), two fourth-round picks (98th and 107th), one sixth-round pick (162nd) and two seventh-round picks (194th and 197th). With the No. 3 pick, the Blackhawks have their sights on a forward. If Michael Misa is somehow bypassed after the first two picks, the Blackhawks would be happy to take him. That's unlikely, though. Instead, the Blackhawks are likely to draft Caleb Desnoyers, Anton Frondell or Porter Martone. All have different strengths, but each has some size and could complement Bedard or Nazar on a line. Davidson has said for a while, too, that he's open to trading the third-overall selection or any of his draft picks. The challenge with doing that and acquiring proven NHL players is that most teams are also looking for established players in exchange. There aren't many teams firmly in a rebuild. Most general managers feel like they're a win-now model and are seeking talent for talent. The Blackhawks' veterans probably aren't that desirable, and Davidson likely isn't ready to part with any of his own prospects. That said, the Blackhawks could move Lukas Reichel and/or Connor Murphy if a team sought either. Murphy might be more likely as a trade deadline move. Advertisement It was only a few months ago that Blackhawks fans — and perhaps Davidson himself — were dreaming of Mitch Marner in red alongside Bedard on the top line. That's a whole lot less likely now. The soaring salary cap has created many more viable suitors for Marner, who's expected to leave the Toronto Maple Leafs, and most of them will be far more attractive for a player in his prime than the Blackhawks, who are still years off from contending. That fact, combined with the strong play of the youth-infused Blackhawks down the stretch — Chicago closed on a modest but encouraging 3-1-1 kick and looked a heck of a lot faster doing it — has put 'patience' back into their vocabulary. Donato might just be the Blackhawks' biggest offseason signing. So it's unlikely Davidson will pursue Marner or even the Florida Panthers' Sam Bennett, Winnipeg Jets' Nikolaj Ehlers or Vancouver Canucks' Brock Boeser. We also shouldn't expect another second-tier spending spree like last summer, when Davidson brought in Tyler Bertuzzi, Teuvo Teräväinen, Pat Maroon, Craig Smith and Brodie. The future has arrived in Chicago, and any improvement will have to come from within. That doesn't mean Davidson won't sign anybody at all. But Chicago already has veterans up front in Nick Foligno, Jason Dickinson, Ilya Mikheyev, Bertuzzi and Teräväinen. Murphy brings leadership and reliability to a young but tantalizing blue line. There might be room for another bruiser like Maroon or one more depth defender, but it probably won't be a terribly exciting July 1 for Blackhawks fans. (Photo of Kyle Davidson and Jeff Blashill: Scott Powers / The Athletic)
CBS News
2 days ago
- Sport
- CBS News
Blackhawks re-sign Ryan Donato to $16 million, 4-year contract
Ryan Donato wanted to stay, and the Chicago Blackhawks wanted to keep the hard-charging forward. It took a while, but they figured it out. The Blackhawks announced Wednesday that they had re-signed Donato to a $16 million, four-year contract. He was eligible for unrestricted free agency before agreeing to his new deal with his fifth NHL team. "Ryan brings energy and competes hard every game which has been a huge asset to our team over the last two seasons," Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said in a statement. "He's been a crucial part of our offense, and we're excited for Ryan to continue to make a difference in our lineup for the next four years." The 29-year-old Donato is coming off a breakout performance. He set career highs with 31 goals and 31 assists in 80 games this season. His previous career bests were 16 goals in 2021-22 with Seattle and 18 assists in his first season with Chicago. Donato's camp had conversations with the team about a new contract ahead of the trade deadline, but the sides weren't able to finish the job. The Blackhawks ended up holding onto Donato through the deadline. "We did have a rapid discussion around then, and it didn't get done, but I wouldn't say there's a hurdle or anything like that," Davidson said during the team's end-of-season availability with reporters in April. "Once you get past the deadline, everyone takes a little breather, and then you're near the end of the season. I think things will pick up now that we're through the year." Donato's contract answers one major question for Chicago as it tries to move back into contention after years of losing. The Blackhawks went 25-46-11 this past season, finishing last in the Central Division and No. 31 overall in the NHL. Donato, a Boston native and Harvard University product, has 108 goals and 119 assists in 483 career games, also playing for the Bruins, Wild and Sharks. He joined the Blackhawks when he signed a $4 million, two-year contract with the team in 2023. "We have obviously a super bright future here, and there's going to be guys that make tremendous gains this summer that help the team, you know, win more games," Donato said in April. "And I think Blackhawks fans and a lot of people are going to be surprised how quickly things can turn."
Reuters
2 days ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Blackhawks retain F Ryan Donato with four-year, $16M deal
June 19 - Chicago Blackhawks forward Ryan Donato signed a four-year, $16 million contract extension, the team announced Wednesday. Donato, 29, could have become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, but instead chose to sign a deal through the 2028-29 season with Chicago. Last season, Donato led the Blackhawks with a career-best 31 goals in 80 games. His 31 assists and 62 points were also career highs. "Ryan brings energy and competes hard every game, which has been a huge asset to our team over the last two seasons," Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said in a statement. "He's been a crucial part of our offense, and we're excited for Ryan to continue to make a difference in our lineup for the next four years." Donato, an eight-year veteran, has 43 goals in two seasons with the Blackhawks. He had never scored more than 31 points in a season until doubling that output last season. Donato has 108 goals and 119 assists in 483 games with the Boston Bruins, Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks, Seattle Kraken and Blackhawks. --Field Level Media
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Blackhawks re-sign forward Ryan Donato to a $16 million, 4-year contract
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Blackhawks have re-signed forward Ryan Donato to a $16 million, four-year contract. The Blackhawks announced the deal on Wednesday. It runs through the 2028-29 season. The 29-year-old Donato is coming off a breakout performance. He set career highs with 31 goals and 31 assists in 80 games this season. His previous career bests were 16 goals in 2021-22 with Seattle and 18 assists in his first season with Chicago. Advertisement He was eligible for unrestricted free agency before agreeing to his new contract. 'Ryan brings energy and competes hard every game which has been a huge asset to our team over the last two seasons' Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said in a statement. 'He's been a crucial part of our offense, and we're excited for Ryan to continue to make a difference in our lineup for the next four years.' ___ AP NHL:
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Blackhawks re-sign forward Ryan Donato to a $16 million, 4-year contract
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Blackhawks have re-signed forward Ryan Donato to a $16 million, four-year contract. The Blackhawks announced the deal on Wednesday. It runs through the 2028-29 season. The 29-year-old Donato is coming off a breakout performance. He set career highs with 31 goals and 31 assists in 80 games this season. His previous career bests were 16 goals in 2021-22 with Seattle and 18 assists in his first season with Chicago. He was eligible for unrestricted free agency before agreeing to his new contract. 'Ryan brings energy and competes hard every game which has been a huge asset to our team over the last two seasons' Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said in a statement. 'He's been a crucial part of our offense, and we're excited for Ryan to continue to make a difference in our lineup for the next four years.' ___ AP NHL:
