Blackhawks Rumors: Chicago Has Tough Decision To Make This Upcoming Offseason
The Chicago Blackhawks have set themselves up for a youth movement, but that comes with a tricky side effect, as, eventually, there is not room for everyone.
With a wave of forward prospects pushing toward the NHL and several veteran contracts expiring in 2026, the Hawks may soon have to choose between bringing back Jason Dickinson or Ilya Mikheyev, as pointed out by Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun Times.
Both are pending free agents, both are trusted in defensive situations, and both have been regular linemates.
Chicago’s contract sheet was clearly built with prospect arrivals in mind. Veterans such as Nick Foligno, Dickinson, Mikheyev and Sam Lafferty come off the books in 2026, with Teuvo Teravainen and Andre Burakovsky following in 2027.
That timeline lines up with young forwards like Anton Frondell, Nick Lardis, Roman Kantserov and Sacha Boisvert pushing for jobs as early as late this season or next.
Still, the Hawks cannot surround Connor Bedard with kids only. They will need a few dependable veterans who can take tough minutes and steady the room. That is exactly why the choice between Dickinson and Mikheyev looms so large.
Jason Dickinson on his nagging injury: "I came back for a few games, got hurt, came back for a few games, got hurt. I don't want to keep doing that. It's hard on me, it's hard on the group, it's not fair to anybody to do that, so I've got to make sure I'm at a point that when I…
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) November 17, 2025
An upper-body injury has limited Dickinson to eight games this season, but when he is in the lineup, he fills some important jobs. He takes the hardest matchups, leads the team in key defensive draws and carries an “A” on his jersey as an alternate captain.
The numbers show that when he and Mikheyev are together at five on five, the Hawks break even in goals and chances, which is no small thing on a roster that is still learning how to win. When Dickinson is away from Mikheyev, the team is outscored heavily and spends more time defending than attacking.
That combination gives him a strong case to be the veteran center who insulates Ryan Greene as the youngster grows into a full-time matchup role.
The Case for Jason Dickinson
If the Blackhawks lean toward Dickinson, it will be for reasons that go far beyond the box score. He is a natural center in a league where reliable centers are hard to find. He is the club’s best faceoff option, trusted to handle brutal defensive zone draws that most young players are not ready for.
At 30, he is also a year younger than Mikheyev and already embedded as part of the leadership group, both in the room and on the bench.
a Jason Dickinson goal for your feed☺️ pic.twitter.com/xtjdAXizqZ
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 16, 2025
There is also a structural argument. If Chicago lets Dickinson walk, it effectively pushes Ryan Greene straight into a full third-line shutdown role next season.
Greene has shown promise, but asking him to handle heavy defensive matchups without a safety net could be a lot for a young player. Keeping Dickinson on a short-term deal would give the Hawks one more veteran pivot who can soak up those difficult minutes and mentor Greene.
The Case for Ilya Mikheyev
On the other hand, there is a very real argument that Ilya Mikheyev fits the Blackhawks’ desired identity better.
He has been more available, missing only a handful of games since the start of last season, while Dickinson has already missed 30-plus in that span and counting. Mikheyev brings more consistent offense, more pure speed and a forechecking game that meshes nicely with how the Hawks want to play.
For a team trying to become faster and more dangerous in transition, that skill set matters as much as faceoffs.
Ilya Mikheyev jumps a pass and springs himself in on a shorthanded breakaway pic.twitter.com/O2p0eJogbA
— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) November 19, 2025
The underlying numbers tell an interesting story.
When Mikheyev plays without Dickinson, the Hawks actually outscore opponents, even if the scoring-chance share tilts against them. When neither is on the ice, Chicago gets caved in more often than not.
That suggests Mikheyev still helps tilt the scoreboard in the right direction, even when the shot quality battle is not perfect. Add in the likelihood that he might come slightly cheaper on his next deal and you have a winger who checks off speed, availability and secondary scoring at a reasonable price.
For a club managing future cap space with a young core in mind, that is not easy to ignore.
Regardless, the Blackhawks have all season to make a decision.
Photo Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
