Kyle Davidson's biggest strength, according to his body of work since taking over as Chicago Blackhawks GM, has been his drafting. He has multiple day one and day two selections who are or will be contributors at the NHL level.
On Thursday, we saw another skill on display for Davidson, which is his knack for signing good players in the organization to team-friendly deals. Frank Nazar signed a deal with a cap hit of $6.59 million. That is risky business for a guy who has only played in 56 NHL games, but it could turn out to be a complete bargain.
Nazar was a high-level contributor for Chicago down the stretch in 2025-26. He had 12 goals and 14 assists for 26 points in 53 games. That is medium-level production, but the end of the year is when he earned this contract.
In the final eight games of the season, all in April, Nazar scored five goals with four assists for nine points in 8 games played. That includes the overtime winner against the Ottawa Senators on April 15th, the final goal of the campaign for the team.
Nazar has shown that he can drive a line, and he's shown that he can play with another stud like Connor Bedard. Between this, his versatility, and potential, this is a risk worth taking.
Now that makes three core players who are signed to great deals for multiple years. Nazar joins Alex Vlasic, who signed a six-year deal worth $4.6 million AAV, and Ryan Donato, who signed a four-year deal carrying a $4 million cap hit.
Vlasic, Nazar, and Donato all had outstanding seasons for Chicago in different roles, and all of them are expected to help this team transition into a winner again soon.
Kyle Davidson's work is not done. Before this off-season is complete, he'd like to have Wyatt Kaiser extended. Kaiser is currently an RFA looking for a contract.
Then there are two very big ones after 2025-26 is over. The headliner is Connor Bedard, who will be looking for his second contract. The goaltender, Spencer Knight, is also due for an upgrade after the upcoming season is over.
Other depth players like Ethan del Mastro, Ilya Mikheyev, and Nick Foligno, amongst others, may be worth keeping around as well, which means that Davidson will be tested more after the imminent campaign.
Kyle Davidson has yet to sign his splash free agent off the open market, too. Does he have the negotiating skills to bring a high-end player on a fair deal to Chicago from elsewhere? They'd love to add a top-six forward to the mix sooner rather than later.
He was able to sign Teuvo Teräväinen and Tyler Bertuzzi two summers ago, but there is another level of player that he needs to go after in the coming years. We'll see if he can do it without it becoming an albatross deal.
For Frank Nazar and the young core locked in for a while, they can worry about getting better to help the team take the next step. The commitment to them speaks volumes. Davidson should be thrilled.
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