Blackhawks’ dream offseason: Mike Sullivan, Michael Misa, Mitch Marner?

This is a major offseason for the Chicago Blackhawks.

They have a head coaching position to fill. They’re going to have another top-four draft pick. They could have over $30 million in salary-cap space. Add it all up, and the Blackhawks could greatly impact their present and future in the coming months.

Of course, it all depends on what general manager Kyle Davidson does with each of those things. This could be a memorable or forgettable offseason.

For it to be a perfect offseason, this is what would likely need to happen.

Hire a head coach

A perfect offseason appeared as if it might already elude the Blackhawks when David Carle removed himself as a candidate for the head coaching job. Carle checked a lot of boxes for the Blackhawks.

With Carle out of the mix, there were other interesting options, but none jumped off the page — until Monday, when the Pittsburgh Penguins and Mike Sullivan parted ways. Like that, the Blackhawks had a top target again.

Like Carle, Sullivan might decide he’s better off somewhere else. Sullivan will have his pick of a job. Would he mind taking a role like the Blackhawks’ opening, where some patience is probably still needed? The Blackhawks’ rebuild isn’t as far off as it was two seasons ago, but there’s some work to be done. That comes with job security but also requires the right mindset.

Of the rest of the field, Jay Woodcroft might be the most intriguing option if they’re looking for someone else with NHL experience. He coached only one full season in Edmonton but had some success in the regular season and playoffs. A handful of current AHL head coaches and NHL assistants could make sense. The Blackhawks are also still considering Anders Sörensen after his stint as interim coach.

Draft as high as possible

The Blackhawks finished 31st in the standings. That gives them a 13.5% shot at the top pick in the upcoming lottery, but they’re most likely to pick second. They also can’t draft any lower than fourth. It will mark the third time in the last four years the Blackhawks have had a top-four pick.

If they do win the lottery, that will likely lead to some interesting conversations. As of now, defenseman Matthew Schaefer is the consensus No. 1 pick. While Davidson has said the Blackhawks would be open to taking a defenseman first, it would almost certainly complicate their rebuild, especially if they’re sold on Artyom Levshunov, Sam Rinzel and Kevin Korchinski panning out.

Having potentially too many high-end offensive defensemen can lead to some issues, including disagreements on utilization (only one defenseman is usually on the top power play), contract disputes (production is what usually leads to money) and would even possibly open them up to offer sheets. It is always possible the Blackhawks would look to move the pick.

Ideally, the Blackhawks would like to draft the best forward available. If they add another elite forward to their growing young group, that could be significant to their rebuild plans. Michael Misa, who is 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, might be the perfect player for what the Blackhawks need. He has size, skating and offense. Anton Frondell, Porter Martone and Caleb Desnoyers would be in the discussion, too, depending on where the Blackhawks draft.

Re-sign who they want

Ryan Donato is the only pending unrestricted free agent they’d like to bring back. The Blackhawks probably thought at the beginning of the season they’d let Donato walk after the season, but his 31-goal season changed everything. It changed everything for Donato, too.

So far, Donato hasn’t been willing to sign the Blackhawks’ offer, which is believed to be a three-year deal with a $4 million cap hit. It’ll be interesting to see if the Blackhawks come up on those numbers. Although some of the young players will likely produce at a higher rate come next season, the Blackhawks will probably still be looking for someone who can fill Donato’s type of production if he walks. The Blackhawks were 26th in goals per game this past season. They need offense.

Of their restricted free agents, Wyatt Kaiser, Arvid Söderblom and Louis Crevier are the main ones they’ll seek to re-sign. Kaiser and Söderblom could see a bit of a bump in their current salaries after how they played this past season. Kaiser looked like he could be a pairing match for Levshunov. Söderblom is the leading candidate to join Spencer Knight as the Blackhawks’ goalie tandem.

Make an offseason forward splash

The Blackhawks have a lot of ways they could go after a notable forward or two this offseason. The Blackhawks aren’t likely to make as many moves as they did last offseason. It could just be a couple this summer. But those couple could be significant.

Free agency would be the easiest way for the Blackhawks to add someone. Cap space won’t be an issue. But the inventory is the unknown. Mikko Rantanen didn’t even reach free agency. Will Mitch Marner? Marner would make a lot of sense as Connor Bedard’s long-term linemate. If Marner does hit the market, he’s going to be in the $15 million range. Could Nikolaj Ehlers, Brock Nelson or Brock Boeser interest the Blackhawks?

Aside from free agency, the Blackhawks could entice someone else’s restricted free agent with an offer sheet. The Blackhawks do have enough of their draft picks to make any compensation work. Other teams will have salary cap space, too, with the cap increasing, but an offer sheet against the right team could still be effective. Matthew Knies could be an option, especially if the Toronto Maple Leafs are vulnerable after re-signing Marner. JJ Peterka and Marco Rossi are two of the other intriguing restricted free agents, but their current teams would likely match any number.

The other option for the Blackhawks is to move draft picks and/or prospects. The Blackhawks still have plenty of draft capital. They have multiple first- and second-round picks in the next two drafts. It’s probably early to start thinking about trading any of their recent draft picks, but there might be a point in the coming years when they have to make some tougher decisions.

Offseason player development

This isn’t so much in the Blackhawks’ hands in the offseason, but they could use their young players to make great strides in their development this offseason. They could use Bedard to become faster. They need Nick Lardis to get healthy and then get stronger.

The Blackhawks will likely rely mostly on young players in their lineup next season. For most of them, the focus will be on adding strength and endurance in the offseason. If Frank Nazar, Levshunov, Rinzel, Korchinski, Colton Dach, Ryan Greene, Oliver Moore, Landon Slaggert and all the other young players can return better next season, the Blackhawks will be better off.

© 2025 The Athletic Media Company. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by New York Times Licensing.