News Blackhawks Team Notes

[Chicago Blackhawks]

We Now Know the 2025 Offer Sheet Compensation Tiers (Blackhawks Targets?)

Offer sheets haven’t been incredibly popular in the NHL, but we’ve discussed the trend of teams potentially using them more in the future with the cap going up as quickly as it will in the coming years. Blackhawks fans have become enamored with the concept, based largely on wanting the team to target younger players with NHL experience to help accelerate the rebuild timeline.

As a reminder: the compensation outlined below is the team’s owned picks in the respective rounds in the 2026 NHL Draft. For example: the Blackhawks couldn’t sign a player to an offer sheet this summer and include Dallas’ first-round pick in 2026 in the compensation package; it would be Chicago’s own pick.

Potential Blackhawks Offer Sheet Targets​

With those tiers in mind, we now need to take a step back and consider how much it would likely cost to not only get a restricted free agent to consider and sign an offer sheet, but for the their current team to not match — and the cost of acquisition.

Matthew Knies in Toronto is likely going to fall into at least the tier that would cost the Blackhawks their own first-, second- and third-round picks in 2026. The good news: the Blackhawks have two picks in the first round and three in the second next year. So the asset collection has made something like that possible. But that’s still a big price — especially if the Hawks’ pick is in the top ten in the lottery of a very good 2026 NHL Draft.

JJ Peterka in Buffalo has been a popular name in Chicago lately, and his name has wandered around trade rumors since before the deadline. The big question here is if he would want to sign for a high enough AAV to qualify for the same tier as Knies (read: north of $7.02M per) or if something lower than that would not only get a signature, but is also enough that the Sabres would let him walk for a first- and third-round pick.

One other name I’ll throw out there that Blackhawks fans might not have given as much thought as they should: Rangers winger Will Cuylle. He’s 23 years old, scored 20 goals this past season and piled up 301 credited hits. He could be a top-six power forward the Blackhawks are looking for, and he might be a guy that could be targeted around a $4.5M AAV — which would only cost the Blackhawks their own second-round pick next year (remember: they have three picks in the second round in 2026).

I will also remind Blackhawks fans that these tiers can not only be used as the actual compensation that the teams losing the RFA would receive, but can also be used as potential trade parameters if the team knows they’re going to lose the player and want to recoup assets before making a decision on an offer sheet.

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...-sheet-compensation-tiers-blackhawks-targets/

 

[Chicago Blackhawks]

USA in Action, Draft Forwards Talk, Holland to LA, Panthers Owner Suspended, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

Yesterday I capped my first run of profiles of potential head coach candidates for the Chicago Blackhawks this summer. Let us know in the comments if there’s one that stands out as your favorite. Here are the links to each profile:

• Kirk Muller
• Todd Nelson
• Dave Hakstol
• Pascal Vincent
• Rick Tocchet (who is rumored to be headed to Philly soon)

• The United States is back in action at the IIHF Men’s World Championship this morning at 9:20 CT on NHL Network. Let’s see if Frank Nazar, Alex Vlasic and the boys can rebound from a tough loss to the Swiss with a win over Norway.

Fresh off the press for today #MensWorlds | @WinmarkResale pic.twitter.com/dveq7CSiO4

— USA Hockey (@usahockey) May 14, 2025​

• Norway lost 5-2 to Germany yesterday. Lukas Reichel picked up an assist but skated only 8:07 in the game.

• Teuvo Teräväinen and Finland skate against Slovakia tomorrow morning.

• Me too, Arty. Me too.

“I can’t sleep without hockey!”

Levshunov is clearly looking forward to next season already and will be skating this summer in Florida pic.twitter.com/xmV9d6Va5O

— Dana Grey (@DanaGrey0) May 13, 2025​

• The Athletic‘s Corey Pronman joined the guys on the Blackhawks Breakaway podcast to talk about the upcoming 2025 NHL Draft. Really good conversation here with a lot of interesting things to unpack. The part that got my attention most — and likely will for many Blackhawks fans — is when they’re talking about Michael Misa. Pronman says he believes there’s a portion of NHL scouts/front offices that don’t have Misa ranked as the top forward in the 2025 NHL Draft class, and that Misa being one of the first two players off the board in June is not a foregone conclusion. Again, good stuff here. Absolutely worth roughly 32 minutes of your time.

• Yesterday I shared the compensation tiers for offer sheets this summer. I had a couple people ask me this in person and there were a couple questions in the comments, so I’ll add it here as well: if the Blackhawks submitted an offer sheet north of the number that would require multiple picks in the same round (read: more than $9.36M giving up two first-round picks), those picks would have to be the Blackhawks’ own, unprotected picks. And they would come in the next two drafts (read: 2026 and 2027). If the Blackhawks traded either their 2026 or 2027 pick before the offer sheet was signed, they would he able to include their 2028 first-round pick. But the two picks would have to be fulfilled within three years. Also, I wouldn’t offer anyone a number that high this summer so I wouldn’t worry about it.

• Ben Pope shared that the Blackhawks are updating the suites under the ceiling at the United Center this summer.

United Center is renovating its Penthouse Suites level this summer, rebranding it as the Banner Level.

The current 74 suites will be replaced by a variety of different-sized suites as well as lounge areas and some individual seats. pic.twitter.com/tqSmin4cdI

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) May 13, 2025​

• The NHL has indefinitely suspended Florida Panthers minority owner Doug Cifu for “unacceptable and inappropriate” posts on social media.

• It appears the Los Angeles Kings will name Ken Holland their new general manager. Darren Dreger reported last night that the presser will be on Thursday.

• The New York Islanders are still searching for their new GM — and they own the No. 1 overall pick.

• I said before the Stanley Cup Playoffs began that the winner of the Avs-Stars series would win the championship this year. If you’ve watched the Stars, I’m feeling pretty good about that call. They’re an absolute wagon.

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• Did you see the Cubs walk off the Marlins last night? It was amazing!

• Did you see Javy Báez walk it off last night for the Tigers, too?

• Bears rookie Ruben Hyppolite says he draws inspiration from Mike Singletary.

• How about a mock draft round-up for the Bulls?

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/blac...owner-suspended-and-other-blackhawks-bullets/