The 2026 NHL free agent class, as it stands, is stacked. Stars on the list include Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Kirill Kaprizov, Kyle Connor, Artemi Panarin, Martin Necas, and Jason Robertson, among others.
If it ends up being like the 2025 free agent class, most of these players will be re-signed by their teams before they even reach July 1st, 2026. They have all been eligible for extensions since July 1st of 2025. One of these stars, however, sticks out in terms of a fit for the Chicago Blackhawks.
Of course, every team in the league would welcome Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel as a top-line superstar center. Guys like them don’t usually hit the market, so nobody is holding their breath.
Kirill Kaprizov, on the other hand, may be one of the exceptions. The Minnesota Wild winger is one of the best offensive producers in the NHL, and there is a chance he reaches free agency.
On Daily Faceoff’s Rundown, Michael Russo - who covers the Wild for The Athletic - said that the two sides are not close on an extension. Russo is confident a deal will get done, but the door is always open for things to go sideways.
If Kaprizov did end up hitting the open market at any point, he would make perfect sense for the Chicago Blackhawks. He is going to become the highest-paid winger in the league when he signs, but the Blackhawks can afford it.
Chicago has made it clear that it sees both Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar as centers in the long term. That remains to be seen, but having Kaprizov on their line would certainly make things easier.
The offensive magic he’d be able to make with one of those two, especially Bedard, would increase the Blackhawks’ chances of having a top-flight offense.
Throughout his 319 career games, Kaprizov has 185 goals and 201 assists for 386 points. Numbers like that get you paid amongst the best.
Kaprizov is the best forward in the history of the Minnesota Wild, so they are not going to let him go without a fight. With that said, there is no doubting how good of a fit he’d be for the Blackhawks based on his skill, his position, and where they will be in their rebuild by the time he’d be available.
