3 Blackhawks Entering Their Final Year With The Team

The Chicago Blackhawks are going to be at the bottom of the standings again, and for one more season, that's a good thing with who is projected to be at the top of the 2026 draft. There are plenty of young players in the organization ready to come into the NHL, but the Blackhawks also have a good amount of veterans up front too. With a young team like Chicago, there will be trades and plenty of changes over the next year.

Connor Murphy

Connor Murphy will definitely be dealt by the trade deadline as there are at least nine defensemen in the organization that can hold a spot in the lineup on Chicago. Murphy is solid and a good defensively-minded veteran that a contender would very much like to acquire ahead of a playoff run for the right side on their second or third pairing. As a defense, his numbers look worse being on a bad team, but I'm sure he will be a great rental addition for a strong team down the stretch. He is going into the final year of his deal at $4.4 million AAV and the Blackhawks will surely retain some cap to move him for a solid return.

Jason Dickinson

As I mentioned, the forward group has plenty of veterans and some of them are going to be playing their last games with the Blackhawks this coming season. Jason Dickinson is in the second and final year of his contract at $4.25 million AAV and he didn't necessarily live up to that last season. With more competent players added to the roster, his role shrunk and he didn't come close to the career high of 22 goals and 35 points he put up the season prior. He is a third line two-way center and if a team needs center depth at the trade deadline, Chicago is who they will check in with. His defensive ability will be very useful in the playoffs and there are young centers like Oliver Moore and Anton Frondell who will have full time spots on the team next season, making it unnecessary to bring back Dickinson.

Ilya Mikheyev

There is a similar outlook on Ilya Mikheyev's future with the Blackhawks as young players will be graduating and need spots. The difference is he had a strong season for Chicago which is worth considering to keep around. That may not be the case if there are offers for him during the season. He would also be a rental for a contending team as he is in the fourth and final year of his deal at $4.037 million AAV. He scored 20 goals from the bottom-6, kills penalties, is very fast, and very good defensively.