The Chicago Blackhawks could be in the market for a college free agent once they become available later in the week.
The Chicago Blackhawks have one of the best farm systems in the National Hockey League. They have been drafting and developing in bulk since Kyle Davidson took over as the full-time GM in 2022.
They have made lots of selections early in the draft, and a few of them have also come from later rounds. Now, the next step is for these prospects to impact the NHL club in a positive manner while the organization stays focused on keeping the farm system strong.
Another way to acquire good prospects is to sign college free agents, most notably the older ones who play out their NCAA careers and then let their rights expire with the teams that drafted them. There are examples of this every year.
This latest class will become available on Saturday, August 15th, and there are some intriguing names on the list. The Blackhawks are not set to lose any of their own NCAA prospects this way, but they could take a look at bringing in one of these three:
Cruz Lucius
Cruz Lucius is at the top of this class. All 32 teams would make their farm system better by adding this young prospect. He played the first two years of his collegiate career at the University of Wisconsin before transferring to Arizona State for his final two years.
Lucius was originally a draft pick of the Carolina Hurricanes, but they traded him as a prospect to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a deal for star forward Jake Guentzel. Now, Lucius is done with college and looking to begin an NHL career of his own.
In 2025-26 with Arizona State, Lucius scored 15 goals and 31 assists for 46 points in 36 games played. That type of production is high-end in the NCAA these days, and NHL teams are going to give him a look for that reason. Whether it be for trade bait or impact as a pro in the AHL or NHL, it's a move worth considering for Kyle Davidson.
Samu Salminen
Samu Salminen was a third-round pick of the New Jersey Devils in 2021, and it looks like they are not going to get a deal done before Saturday's deadline. That will free him to sign wherever he wants.
Salminen, whether it was his first two years at UConn or his final two at Denver, never made big advancements offensively. However, he has shown a dedication to playing the game the right way in all three zones, which can help any pro team in the bottom six.
He knows how to shoot the puck well, and he commits to being a threat both offensively and defensively whenever he is on the ice. His awareness when the puck is not on his stick is outstanding, which could help him push his game forward if ever given the chance.
Sutter Muzzatti
Sutter Muzzatti was a fifth-round pick by the Nashville Predators in the 2023 NHL Draft and is set to become a free agent. He spent the first three years of his NCAA tenure at RPI before going to Notre Dame for his senior year.
At Notre Dame in 2025-27, Muzzatti had 13 goals and 19 assists for 32 points in 37 games played. That's not bad, as he took a major leap in competition with his move to South Bend.
If the Michigan native wants to sign with an NHL team that is relatively close to his college, the Chicago Blackhawks make sense. He would surely start with the Rockford IceHogs, as all of these guys would, but there is an opportunity to grow his game on an AHL team expecting to win.
College free agents are in no way, shape, or form going to be the savior. If they were, teams wouldn't let them make it to their senior year without being signed. Every now and again, you have an elite guy who simply doesn't want to play for the team that has his rights, but that isn't the case with anyone in 2026. Still, there is potential for all three of these guys to join an organization and make an impact.
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