Six Weeks of Blackhawks: Davidson Extended, Kantserov Signed, Mikheyev Leaving, and a No. 4 Pick in Buffalo

CHICAGO — We went dark on April 7th with the Blackhawks sitting at 26-33-12, Ilya Mikheyev's future unresolved, and the season clearly headed in one direction. Since then, the team played out the string, Kyle Davidson got a contract extension, a Russian goal-scoring machine signed an entry-level deal, and the franchise's best defensive forward is almost certainly going to be playing somewhere else next year. A lot happened. Here's your complete catch-up.

The Season Ended: 29-39-14, 31st Overall

The Blackhawks finished 29-39-14 for 72 points — 11 more than last season's 61 — and 31st in the NHL. Only the Vancouver Canucks had fewer points. The final game was a 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks on April 15th.

That 11-point improvement is real. It continues a pattern:

Each year, the record has moved in the right direction — and that consistency matters. It doesn't silence the fans who feel the rebuild has dragged on longer than it should, and that's a fair feeling after six years outside the playoffs. But the trend line is undeniable, and the decision to extend Davidson reflects the organization's belief that the foundation is real. Whether the results start catching up with the promise in 2026-27 is the question everyone in Chicago wants answered.

The one genuine bright spot in the team's collective numbers was the penalty kill — 2nd-ranked in the NHL. Beyond that, this was a young roster showing the predictable struggles of a young roster. The defense was frequently overwhelmed, particularly on the back end, where a group of talented but inexperienced defensemen — Levshunov, Rinzel, Korchinski — were still learning to play at the NHL level. The offense had its moments, with Bedard and Bertuzzi providing real firepower, but the defensive zone breakdowns behind them were a consistent problem. The PK masked a lot of that, and losing Mikheyev this summer means the mask comes off.

Bedard's Year 3: The Step Forward Chicago Needed

Connor Bedard is 20 years old and he just posted 30 goals, 45 assists, and 75 points in 69 games — career highs across the board. He missed 13 games mid-season with a shoulder injury. He improved his faceoff percentage from 38.3% to 47.1%. He led the team in assists, power play points, and game-winning goals (five). Tyler Bertuzzi edged him in goals at 32, but Bedard was first in everything else that mattered.

The analytical picture was just as encouraging. His shot power and skating speed both improved per NHL Edge data. The give-and-go ability that Blashill has flagged as essential for any Bedard linemate to have — Bedard keeps getting better at initiating it himself. The minus-18 plus/minus reflects the roster around him more than it reflects him.

What it still reflects is this: Bedard has now spent three full NHL seasons without a legitimate top-line winger. Philipp Kurashev, Taylor Hall, Ryan Donato, Andre Burakovsky — those are the names that have cycled through his left side. None of them are wrong answers exactly, but none of them are the answers either. Bedard is doing everything a franchise center is supposed to do. The obligation is now on Kyle Davidson to put someone next to him.

Contract talks begin this summer. Bedard's entry-level deal expires, and per WGN Radio's Charlie Roumeliotis, extension discussions are expected to begin shortly. Nobody is worried about this — it's going to get done — but it is the top item on the offseason calendar.

Davidson Gets His Extension

On April 15th — the day of the final home game against San Jose — chairman and CEO Danny Wirtz announced on CHSN's pregame show that Kyle Davidson had agreed to a multi-year contract extension. The team confirmed it in a press release shortly after. Terms were not disclosed per club policy.

Davidson, 37, is in his 16th season with the organization and his fourth as permanent GM since being named to the role on March 1, 2022. In that time, he has drafted 38 players, including 11 first-round picks. Ten of those picks have played NHL games. The core looks like this: Bedard, Levshunov, Frondell, Nazar, Sam Rinzel, Kevin Korchinski, Ryan Greene, Oliver Moore. That's a serious foundation.

Wirtz's statement was direct: "Kyle's exceptional body of work to date has set us down the path of bringing sustainable, championship-caliber hockey back to Chicago. In a short amount of time, he's rebuilt the team through strong drafting and player development, delivering a league-leading prospect pool and the beginnings of our future core. He alongside Head Coach Jeff Blashill have redefined our locker room's culture and mentality, and we are seeing improvements in all of the underlying areas that make winning possible."

Davidson's response: "I am extremely grateful for the support that Danny Wirtz has shown me these last four years. His commitment to our shared vision for the future of the Blackhawks has been vital to the success we've seen as we've worked to build our roster into a team that can compete for years to come. We still have lots of work to do as we strive to bring the Stanley Cup back to Chicago and I'm excited to continue building a team that our fans can be proud of."

The extension was earned, and the general consensus around the league reflects that — Davidson has built one of the better prospect pools in hockey through smart drafting and disciplined asset management. The fanbase is more mixed. There's real impatience after six consecutive lottery finishes, and that's understandable. What the extension signals is that the organization believes the hard part is done and the upside is real. The pressure now shifts from building the foundation to delivering results on it. 2026-27 needs to look different.

The Kantserov Signing: The Best Offseason News Yet

On May 14th, the Blackhawks made it official: Roman Kantserov has signed a three-year entry-level contract worth $1.075 million per year, beginning in 2026-27 and running through 2028-29. He will play in Chicago next season.

Kantserov was selected by the Blackhawks in the second round — 44th overall — of the 2023 NHL Draft. He spent three seasons developing in the KHL with Metallurg Magnitogorsk, improving every year before completely exploding this past season. In 2025-26, he led the entire KHL with 36 goals and 64 points in 63 games. Both marks are KHL records for a player under the age of 22. He was the first 21-year-old to lead the league in goals since Kirill Kaprizov did it in 2018-19. He also added 8 points in 15 postseason games and represented Metallurg at the 2026 KHL All-Star Game.

The numbers alone are remarkable. The player behind them is more interesting. Kantserov is 5'9" and 176 pounds, which had some draft observers hesitant in 2023. What they've seen since is a player who consistently plays bigger than he is — battling along the boards, willing to go to the front of the net, and killing penalties despite his size. Blackhawks assistant GM Mark Eaton described him as having a "bulldog mentality." Blashill's scouting report after watching his tape: "Very, very high intelligence. Very, very good with the puck. Very accountable defensively, as well. Looks like a guy who's got a great give-and-go game. Is really, really smart. I think he can be a big impact guy."

That last phrase — "great give-and-go game" — is not accidental. Blashill has repeatedly cited that specific skill as what a Bedard linemate needs most. Kantserov fits the profile. He could slot in on Bedard's wing from Day 1 of training camp.

Metallurg terminated his contract early — it was set to expire anyway this summer — specifically to allow negotiations to begin immediately. The move was intentional on both sides. Kantserov is not coming to North America to play in the AHL. Per multiple reports, his preference would be returning to Russia over going to Rockford. All signs point to him making the NHL roster.

Frank Nazar is already locked up through 2032-33 on his new 7-year, $46.13 million extension ($6.59M AAV). Anton Frondell just finished his first NHL games after his March recall from Djurgårdens. Bedard is the center. Now add Kantserov to that mix, and suddenly the Blackhawks' forward group looks like something more than a collection of high-ceiling teenagers — it looks like the beginning of an actual top six.

Mikheyev: Almost Certainly Gone

On May 18th, Elliotte Friedman reported on the 32 Thoughts podcast what most people had already figured out: Ilya Mikheyev is almost certainly not coming back to Chicago. "It was let known across the league that Chicago probably isn't going to be able to sign Ilya Mikheyev," Friedman said, "so his rights are available for trade if any team wants to talk to him in advance of free agency."

This is a real loss. Mikheyev, 31, posted 18 goals, 18 assists, and 36 points in 77 games this past season, and was the key piece behind Chicago's 2nd-ranked penalty kill — the best unit on the entire roster. He is one of the best defensive forwards in the league and was arguably Davidson's best trade acquisition since taking the GM job, arriving from Vancouver in June 2024. Davidson said publicly, more than once, that he wanted to bring Mikheyev back.

Per Scott Powers of The Athletic, the Blackhawks extended an offer in the neighborhood of $4.75 million AAV on a 2-3 year deal. Mikheyev's camp rejected it. With the UFA clock ticking and no retention slots available, Davidson has made Mikheyev's negotiating rights available for trade — a move that gets Chicago whatever it can for the exclusive right to negotiate with him before free agency opens, likely a late-round pick at best.

The decision to hold him past the trade deadline back in March looks worse in hindsight. Davidson acknowledged wanting to keep him. The market didn't cooperate on an extension, and the deadline leverage is now gone. It happens. The more pressing question is what fills the void — a two-way forward who can kill penalties and hold his own at both ends is not easy to replace. Oliver Moore projects as that kind of player down the line, but he's still developing and asking him to step into Mikheyev's role immediately would be a significant ask.

The No. 4 Pick: Buffalo, June 27th

On May 5th, the draft lottery was held in Secaucus. The Toronto Maple Leafs won the first lottery and take No. 1. The San Jose Sharks won the second and take No. 2. Vancouver fell to third. The Blackhawks land at No. 4 overall.

This is the fourth consecutive year Chicago picks in the top five. No. 1 (Bedard, 2023). No. 2 (Levshunov, 2024). No. 3 (Frondell, 2025). No. 4 (2026). Only the second time in franchise history they've held the fourth pick — the first was 1964.

Davidson was direct about the approach: "We're best player available. We're just gonna take the best player and figure out the reserve list after that. It's all about accumulating talent."

The draft is June 26-27 in Buffalo. The Blackhawks also hold three second-round picks in this draft — one of the deepest arsenals in the league. As of this writing, mock drafts have Gavin McKenna (Penn State, LW) going first to Toronto; the second and third picks are less settled. If the top three forwards — McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, and Caleb Malhotra — are all gone, most projections have the Blackhawks pivoting to a defenseman, with Chase Reid (Soo Greyhounds) appearing most frequently at No. 4. Davidson has not ruled out trading the pick.

The Blackhawks entered the lottery with the second-highest odds of landing No. 1 at 13.5%. They didn't win. This is now the second consecutive year they've entered with top-two odds and fallen to their guaranteed floor. The results of the lottery are completely outside anyone's control, but the Blackhawks have now demonstrated they can build a legitimate team without the top pick. Bedard came first. Levshunov, Frondell, Nazar, and Rinzel followed. No. 4 in a deep draft class — in a year when they also have three second-rounders — is a very good position to be in.

What This Summer Is About

The pieces are in place. Bedard, Nazar, Frondell, Kantserov, Levshunov, Rinzel, Moore, Greene — that is a genuinely exciting group of young players. The rebuild has done what rebuilds are supposed to do: accumulate talent. Now the question is whether Davidson can do the next thing, which is harder.

Finding Bedard a real linemate — not a fill-in, a real one — is the priority. The Kantserov signing helps, but he is unproven at the NHL level and there's no guarantee of instant chemistry. The Blackhawks have been linked to Alex Tuch of Buffalo in free agency, which would fill exactly the profile they need: a big, skilled winger who can drive possession and score. That's speculation for now. But the need is real.

Replacing Mikheyev's defensive impact is the second item. The penalty kill was the best unit on this team. Losing him without a like-for-like replacement would be a real setback.

Getting Bedard's extension done is the third, though it's also the most straightforward — this is not a situation that's in doubt, just one that takes time.

The 2026-27 Blackhawks will look genuinely different from anything the fan base has seen in years. Whether they're ready to be a playoff team is a real question. Whether they're ready to be interesting — to be a team you actually want to watch — the answer is already yes.

That's not nothing. After six years of this, it's worth saying out loud.