Kyle Davidson has set the stage for a cap-friendly future.
As General Manager Kyle Davidson continues to reshape the Blackhawks' roster, the organization is poised for a promising future, with very little commitment beyond the 2025-2026 season.
Currently, the salary cap remains flat with another small rise of 1 million to put it at 83 million per year. This has posed challenges for many NHL teams, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning, Colorado Avalanche, and even the Montreal Canadiens, all of whom find themselves over the cap before the start of the season.
The good news for all these teams is that the salary cap is expected to see significant increases over the next five years as the NHL recovers from its COVID-related challenges. Teams will enjoy additional salary cap room, which will aid in signing their future stars.
In the case of the Blackhawks, Davidson has positioned the team to retain their star players over the long term and granted them substantial flexibility to adjust the team's configuration if the current approach doesn't yield desired results. According to capfriendly.com, with all 23 roster players signed and a projected cap space of $12.8 million, Davidson will have the luxury of adding future players this year to further strengthen the team.
Remaining on the roster for 2024-2025 are forwards Taylor Hall, Andreas Athanasiou, Philipp Kurashev, Connor Bedard, and Ryan Donato.
On the defensive front, Connor Murphy and Seth Jones are under contract beyond that date, with Arvid Soderblom as the sole signed goalie.
Davidson has also taken measures to address potential bonuses that may carry over to the next season, involving players such as Connor Bedard, Lukas Reichel, and Wyatt Kaiser.
As the transformation of the Blackhawks unfolds before our eyes, and with the team holding an additional seven draft selections in the first three rounds of the upcoming draft, the Blackhawks are poised to further strengthen and, eventually, return to playoff contention.
| POLL | ||
Are you happy with Kyle Davidson as GM of the Hawks? | ||
| Yes | 74 | 80.4 % |
| No | 18 | 19.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
