Blackhawks offseason: 10 questions still hanging, including Bedard’s extension

Chicago Blackhawks fans had been begging general manager Kyle Davidson to make a big move and turbocharge this long-term rebuild for months, if not years. Then Davidson did so — sending out the No. 4 pick and Louis Crevier to Buffalo for new No. 1 defenseman Bowen Byram — and was immediately met with criticism for the high price he paid (both in the trade and the ensuing six-year, $75 million contract extension). Tough business.

But that business isn’t quite done yet. The big moves might be done as much of the league departs for lake cottages up north for the summer (though Jason Robertson and Matthew Knies are still theoretically out there, and Davidson made a point of saying his phone will still be on). But there are still decisions to make and questions to answer. Let’s get into them:

1. What will Connor Bedard’s extension look like, and when will it come?

Davidson said Wednesday he didn’t have an update on the negotiations with his biggest star. There isn’t likely anything to read into that. He’s repeatedly said he won’t comment on it until there’s a deal in place.

Overall, almost no news has trickled out about negotiations. The fact that it isn’t done yet indicates that Bedard and his representatives aren’t in a rush. It’s hard to blame them either, as the entire league is trying to figure out what a rising salary cap means for contracts.

It’s a safe assumption that Bedard’s annual average value will come in higher than Byram’s $12.5 million. How much higher and for how long are the unknowns.

2. Who will be Bedard’s linemates?

The Blackhawks appear to be going with internal options for Bedard’s line after not signing or acquiring any proven top-six wingers this offseason. Forward prospect Roman Kantserov is the most likely new candidate for one of the wings after leading the KHL in scoring. Bedard and Kantersov could be joined by Nick Lardis, who will be entering his second pro season and scored 10 goals in 41 NHL games last season. Lardis finished last season on Bedard’s line.

Davidson ran through an assortment of options on Wednesday and mentioned Kantserov, Lardis, Ryan Greene, Oliver Moore and “a number of different vets.” It’s also entirely possible that either Anton Frondell or Frank Nazar, each now at center, gets a look at wing.

“A lot of those things are trial and error,” Davidson said. “Sometimes you work in pairs rather than in threes, so you get a pair and mix and match and see what works from there. We don’t know if Roman’s going to work there. We believe it will, based on the traits and how they play the game and how they see the game, but that’s what training camp and games are for. It’s their job to get together and find that little bit of magic. We believe it could be there, and then we’ve got a lot of other players that can be complementary and add something to the dynamic qualities that both players possess.”

3. Can the Blackhawks spread out Bedard, Frondell and Nazar at center over three lines?

Ideally, the Blackhawks would like to have Bedard, Frondell and Nazar down the middle. That kind of center depth is what separates teams like Vegas and Colorado from other Western Conference contenders (see the Minnesota Wild, who have a ton of talent on the wings but a gaping hole down the middle). Whether that can be a reality likely depends on whether the Blackhawks can get enough offense from the players around them, as that trio comprises some of the highest upside on the roster.

Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill will soon have a larger sample size of Frondell at center. Frondell began his NHL career at wing and played there last season in Sweden, but Blashill moved him to center, thinking he had more of a two-way upside there. Frondell showed some promise, but it’s too early to say he’s not better off on Bedard’s wing.

If Moore continues to show he’s a better option at center than wing, as he did last season, that might also impact Blashill’s decisions. Greene was also given time at center and wing last season. Kantserov played center in the KHL last season, but he’s expected to play wing in the NHL.

4. Who fills Jason Dickinson’s role as a shutdown center?

With Dickinson in Edmonton and Ilya Mikheyev in Tampa, the Blackhawks have lost their two best defensive forwards. And there aren’t any obvious heir apparents. Moore, when he’s at his best and most engaged, is a ferocious puck hound whose speed allows him to erase mistakes quickly, but can he play that heavy matchup role at 3C like Dickinson did?

Greene was originally projected as a bottom-six center before finding a home on Bedard’s wing last season. Can he be the long-term solution there? And what of Sacha Boisvert, who ended the season in a bottom-six center role? And if the Blackhawks do go Bedard, Nazar and Frondell down the middle, will Frondell see some more difficult matchups, or will the fourth line take on a more prominent role, as it did back in the Marcus Kruger era?

Newly signed Cole Smith, a speedy and tenacious winger, figures to take on Mikheyev’s unglamorous but critical role. But finding a reliable two-way center who can take on the hardest minutes is a crucial step for Blashill and the young Blackhawks.

5. Which defensemen will play their strong side and which their off side?

By adding two left-handed defensemen in Byram and Ian Cole and subtracting a right-handed one in Crevier, the Blackhawks don’t have an even amount for each side. Byram, Cole, Alex Vlasic, Wyatt Kaiser, Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro are left-handed options, and Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel are the right-handed ones.

Davidson said Cole, Byram, Kaiser, Del Mastro and Korchinski are capable of playing on their off side.

“There’s options, there’s guys with versatility on their back end,” Davidson said. “If we didn’t have that versatility, we probably would’ve looked to much more of an even lefty-righty split, but we’ve got that versatility for when the coaches figure out when the time comes.”

It’s not terribly unusual for a defenseman to play on his off side. Niklas Hjalmarsson did it throughout his career and, from a defensive standpoint, found it preferable. It might, however, take time for that player to adjust.

6. Where does Kevin Korchinski fit into the picture?

Korchinski’s path into the Blackhawks’ lineup next season appeared murky before this season. It seems even more so now after adding Byram and Cole.

Davidson was asked on Wednesday how he planned to balance his young defensemen, especially Korchinski, who won’t be waiver-eligible, with bringing in two established players. He’s taken a longer developmental process than the Blackhawks would have liked, but they’re not going to expose him to waivers. Will he be a fixture in the lineup, or will the 2022 No. 7 draft pick be the No. 7 defenseman?

“It’s something that we’ll continue to discuss as we go throughout the offseason into training camp,” Davidson said. “It’s always a bit of a balance, making sure that we’re putting all of our young players in situations to succeed while also shoring up some things that we need to shore up for the NHL roster to make sure that the team is taking the necessary steps forward. Those are going to be discussions that we continue to have and try to gain further clarity on what that opening day lineup looks like.”

7. What will the Blackhawks do with their 2027 draft assets?

The Blackhawks’ best trade assets are their three first-round picks in 2027. It’ll be surprising if the Blackhawks make more than one of those picks come June of next year.

The window for tapping into those draft picks is likely closing this offseason. The Blackhawks are going to want to make a splash and acquire a valuable player with those picks, just as they did with Byram. That type of player might not be available to them again until the trade deadline or later. The players moved at the deadline are usually on expiring contracts.

There’s a chance the Blackhawks will have to be patient until next offseason to explore their options. If that’s the case, the actual value of those picks will be much more defined, too. They’ll have a better idea of where their first-round pick will be, along with the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers’ first-rounders.

8. Where do the veteran forwards fit?

Davidson pulled off quite a coup in shedding André Burakovsky, sending him to Ottawa without having to retain any salary or include any sweetener. But the forward group is still a little cluttered with veterans. Tyler Bertuzzi is coming off a career year and will be a fixture in the top nine. Smith figures to play an important role in the bottom six and on the penalty kill. Beyond that, there are questions. Ryan Donato was largely a fourth-liner last season after his breakout season. Teuvo Teräväinen had perhaps his worst NHL season and appears to be on the decline as he enters the final year of his contract. Andrew Mangiapane was a throw-in to the Dickinson trade but showed some sandpaper in limited action down the stretch. And Jordan Greenway, acquired in the Byram deal, can provide some muscle and physicality that the forward group sorely lacks.

That’s six veterans on a team that’s supposed to be focused on youth. Will Landon Slaggert be crowded out? Will there be room for an A.J. Spellacy or Samuel Savoie or Marek Vanacker or Jiri Felcman if they play well enough in AHL Rockford to earn an NHL look? Or will they have to wait until the trade deadline, when Teräväinen, Greenway and Mangiapane could all be on the move?

9. Could there be a goalie controversy?

Spencer Knight is the undisputed No. 1 goalie in Chicago, and he’ll be one of only a handful of true No. 1s — this is not a 1A/1B situation, which is all the rage in the NHL. But how firm a grip does Arvid Söderblom have on the backup job? Södberlom was 58th in the league in goals saved above expected last season, per Evolving Hockey. His .880 save percentage was 60th out of 72 goalies with at least 10 appearances. And he’s entering the final year of his contract.

If Drew Commesso, who was impressive in two of his three emergency starts last season, outplays Söderblom in training camp and in the shortened preseason, can he take the job? Would the Blackhawks risk putting Söderblom — a middling but competent backup with 112 NHL games under his belt — on waivers? It seems unlikely but not impossible, especially if the Blackhawks are serious about making a big jump up the standings this season.

10. When will Bedard become captain?

Bedard’s captaincy is both earned and inevitable. Now entering his fourth year, with a multiyear extension looming, he’s the unquestioned leader of the team on and off the ice. He also doesn’t even turn 21 for a couple of weeks. Will the Blackhawks make him captain this year? Will they announce it along with his extension, whenever that comes? Or will they go a year with just three alternates (as they did to close the season after trading Nick Foligno) and give him more time to grow into the role? Regardless, it’s only a matter of time.

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