The Chicago Blackhawks are facing a crucial decision regarding their forward prospects and veteran players. The team's contract sheet is carefully crafted to make room for the young talent that is on its way, but they must also consider keeping some of their experienced veterans.
Nick Foligno, Jason Dickinson, Ilya Mikheyev, and Sam Lafferty's contracts are set to expire in 2026, while Teuvo Teravainen and Andre Burakovsky's contracts will expire in 2027. This will create opportunities for the team to add more young players to its roster.
Prospects like Anton Frondell, Nick Lardis, Roman Kantserov, and Sacha Boisvert could enter the NHL mix soon, either this season or next. However, the Hawks know that building a depth chart solely on youngsters isn't feasible. They need some veteran presence to anchor their team.
The decision on Dickinson and Mikheyev will be particularly tricky. Both players have defense-first mindsets, but they also bring different strengths to the table. The argument for re-signing Dickinson highlights his experience as a center, face-off skills, and leadership role, while the case for keeping Mikheyev emphasizes his recent offense production, health, and ability to fit into the Hawks' speed-based identity.
One factor that complicates this decision is that Dickinson and Mikheyev often play together well. When they're on the ice at the same time, the Hawks have an even goal differential (18-18) and a nearly even scoring-chance ratio (49.5%). However, when neither player is on the ice, the team has been outscored 159-123 with a poor 42.6% scoring-chance ratio.
Dickinson's recent return from injury could be a game-changer for the Hawks. He could provide a significant boost to their lineup soon and force them to consider whether they want to keep both players or make room for someone else.
Ultimately, the decision will depend on the team's priorities and how they weigh the pros and cons of each player. With several talented young prospects on the way, the Blackhawks must navigate this challenge carefully to build a strong foundation for the future.
Nick Foligno, Jason Dickinson, Ilya Mikheyev, and Sam Lafferty's contracts are set to expire in 2026, while Teuvo Teravainen and Andre Burakovsky's contracts will expire in 2027. This will create opportunities for the team to add more young players to its roster.
Prospects like Anton Frondell, Nick Lardis, Roman Kantserov, and Sacha Boisvert could enter the NHL mix soon, either this season or next. However, the Hawks know that building a depth chart solely on youngsters isn't feasible. They need some veteran presence to anchor their team.
The decision on Dickinson and Mikheyev will be particularly tricky. Both players have defense-first mindsets, but they also bring different strengths to the table. The argument for re-signing Dickinson highlights his experience as a center, face-off skills, and leadership role, while the case for keeping Mikheyev emphasizes his recent offense production, health, and ability to fit into the Hawks' speed-based identity.
One factor that complicates this decision is that Dickinson and Mikheyev often play together well. When they're on the ice at the same time, the Hawks have an even goal differential (18-18) and a nearly even scoring-chance ratio (49.5%). However, when neither player is on the ice, the team has been outscored 159-123 with a poor 42.6% scoring-chance ratio.
Dickinson's recent return from injury could be a game-changer for the Hawks. He could provide a significant boost to their lineup soon and force them to consider whether they want to keep both players or make room for someone else.
Ultimately, the decision will depend on the team's priorities and how they weigh the pros and cons of each player. With several talented young prospects on the way, the Blackhawks must navigate this challenge carefully to build a strong foundation for the future.
. I'd say they gotta weigh the pros of keeping them both against making room for some new youth. Cant have too many veterans holding back the young guns...
... seriously though, it's gonna be tough deciding what to do with Dickinson and Mikheyev... both have solid cases - Dickinson's got that experience & leadership vibe, while Mikheyev's been putting up decent offense lately. but then there's this thing where they play well together, so maybe keep one of them? 
& having less leadership in the room. but if they keep him, that's a pretty big weight on mikheyev's shoulders. he's been killing it lately, but is he ready to carry the load all by himself? 
. But at the same time, having some vets around to steady the ship is super important. I mean, Dickinson's been out for a bit and now he's back, so I think that could be a big boost to their lineup 
️. Mikheyev's also been killing it lately, so keeping him would be a great move. It's gonna be interesting to see how the Hawks balance the need for youth with the value of experience... 
️. If they could find a way to keep both players without breaking the bank, that'd be a win-win for me 
... both have so much to offer! On one hand, having some veteran presence is defo important, especially with all these young prospects coming up 
. But at the same time, Dickinson's return from injury could be a game-changer for them - he's got that experience and leadership stuff that would really boost their lineup 
.
. It's gonna be hard to let him go if they can keep him! 
But what if keeping both of them would mean letting someone else slip through the cracks? 
. Dickinson's return from injury could be huge, but at the same time, Mikheyev's been killing it lately 
!
. I think they should keep both and see how it plays out with their new youngbies coming in - Anton Frondell is gonna be a beast 
. Plus, having these veteran players leave will force the team to rebuild and create space for new talent. It's like, let's cut loose on some dead weight and get this team flying high 
!!! They've got some amazing young prospects like Frondell and Lardis coming up, but you can't just rely on them alone, right? 
The team needs some veteran presence to anchor their roster, especially with players like Mikheyev and Dickinson's contracts expiring. It's gonna be so hard to decide whether to keep both of them or make room for someone else... Dickinson's return from injury could be a huge factor in this decision 
, but whatever they decide, I know the Hawks are gonna bring the heat this season 
. On one hand, keeping veterans like Foligno and Lafferty would give 'em some much-needed stability in the crease 
, but it's hard to pass up on all that young talent 
coming up through the ranks. Dickinson's return from injury is a huge boost tho 
. It's gonna be tough to decide who to keep & go 