The Chicago Blackhawks could come out of their rebuild thanks to the rising salary cap.
The Chicago Blackhawks are having a tough year. At 16-30-5, they have the second-worst record in the National Hockey League.
At this point, the only thing that matters to them is developing the young talent in the organization at all levels. That is the biggest key to the franchise taking another step in the rebuild.
Some news came out on Friday that should help the Blackhawks with their next step. The salary cap is projected to increase substantially over the next three years.
The cap is expected to go up to $95.5 million next season. The following year, it should be at $104 million. Heading into 2027-28, it is expected to be at $113.5 million.
Only Seth Jones, who very well could be traded at any time, and Alex Vlasic are signed by the Blackhawks longer than that. Connor Bedard will likely get a heavy pay increase with his next contract this summer but he is going to be worth every penny.
While developing prospects, the Blackhawks will have even more cap flexibility to make moves with this news. They can sign multiple big free agents over the years if they want to come to Chicago. A team like the Blackhawks playing in a large market should benefit from this upward-trending cap.
You never want to be cap-strapped when it's time to win but you need to make moves to supplement the talent that you've drafted and developed. Making smart decisions on who you pay is important.
The Blackhawks are going to have to compete with some of the other teams looking to spend because they are seeing the cap go up too but they should have a seat at most tables.
Would the Blackhawks have loved this to happen in the 2010s? Absolutely. They might have won another Stanley Cup or two. Better late than never.
With pending free agents like Mikko Rantanen and Mitch Marner coming up this summer, it makes you wonder if the Blackhawks are more likely to take a swing knowing where the cap is projected.
This is good news for the league as a whole. For one, this projection goes beyond the current collective bargaining agreement which means they feel that they will get that squared away instead of having another lockout.
It also means that the league is generating enough revenue to increase the cap by that much. This isn't the typical raise that the league gives each year. Going up around $25 million over three years is significant.
This Blackhawks rebuild has been going on for a long time but Kyle Davidson's (and the fanbase's) patience is going to pay off.
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