When Mark Lazerus of The Athletic revealed yesterday that Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov would be “intrigued” by the possibility of signing with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2026, it created a lot of noise in the hockey community.
Hawks supporters may be disappointed to learn that “Kirill the Thrill” is not desperate to play in the Windy City, but when he hits unrestricted free agency in two summers, there’s still a chance the Hawks will be on Kaprizov’s shortlist.
And why shouldn’t they be in the mix for Kaprizov?
With Connor Bedard at the center, the Hawks are creating something very exceptional, and in two years, they hope to move closer to contending for the Stanley Cup.
First-round forwards like Frank Nazar, Oliver Moore, and Sacha Boisvert, who are all under 22, will have established themselves as reliable top-six/top-nine players by the time Kaprizov is eligible for free agency.
Not to mention the group of blueliners that general manager Kyle Davidson has assembled in Rockford, led by Alex Vlasic, Kevin Korchinksi, and Artyom Levshunov.
The Hawks will be ascending by 2026, and a prospective 29-year-old Kaprizov seeking to establish his legacy with a title will surely find the Hawks appealing. Bonus: With the youthful core on bridge deals or modest long-term contracts (like Vlasic), the team should have enough budget flexibility to pay Kaprizov fair market value.
As Lazerus points out in his X article, the situation is eerily similar to the summer of 2009 when the Hawks recruited Marián Hossa to help them get over the proverbial hump.
There are plenty of forward prospects on the Hawks, but none are as good as Bedard, as many fans and reporters have pointed out. Kaprizov, who has scored 330 points in 278 career games, most definitely ticks that box. Between now and July 2026, a lot can happen, but the Blackhawks need Kaprizov, and Davidson should do all in his power to get him to the Hawks if Kaprizov wants the Hawks.