Kyle Davidson is evaluating training camp differently this time around

There is always a certain feeling of excitement and hope when walking into the first day of any training camp. The 2025-26 Chicago Blackhawks enter the new season with a new coaching staff and a slew of young players looking to cement themselves in the National Hockey League.

General manager Kyle Davidson did not make many additions to his team over the summer. Depth forward Dominic Toninato was his only free agent signing, while Sam Lafferty was reacquired from the Buffalo Sabres. The most significant move of the offseason was hiring Jeff Blashill, who, in turn, brought in his coaching staff of Michael Pecca, Mike Velucchi, and Anders Sorensen.

Davidson focused on re-signing some of his key players from last season. Ryan Donato, Louis Crevier, Arvid Soderblom, Frank Nazar, Spencer Knight, and Wyatt Kaiser all got new contracts during the offseason. There was no contract extension for Connor Bedard, but there is plenty of time for that to get done.

Young Players Being Evaluated Differently

This year’s training camp has a different feel than any other since Davidson took over as general manager. Numerous young players are finally knocking on the NHL door. Some of the recent draft picks have gone from names fans see on social media or their favorite prospect sites to actual players on the ice. Davidson is still mindful that development is not linear, and it doesn’t stop at this level.

“We’re watching for the continued development and growth of our young players, but now with that impact on the NHL roster. I think we’ve had some young players playing outside of the NHL the last couple of years. We saw at the end of last year a little peek of it, but my expectations are that we’ll see that on a much more consistent basis, and it’s our belief that that quality coming up into the NHL and that youth is going to start propelling us forward. There’s an element of growth involved in this, but we believe we will see a step forward this year, both in quality of play and hopefully in point total as well.”

While the organization and fans want to see a jump in the standings, this season will be another season in which success won’t be based on wins and losses. It’s the strides the young core makes that are most important, especially at the NHL level.

“There will be a patience factor with young players in the NHL, but there’s also an excitement factor and a future impact that we should see throughout this season for some players that will be here for a very, very long time, “Davidson said. “Some of the players who started the season last year and are no longer here served a valuable purpose, but maybe not part of the overall solution.”

Roster Battles are Real

When breaking down the training camp roster, it felt like there wasn’t as much opportunity for the young players as initially hoped, especially among the forward group. But, with a brand new coaching staff in place, everyone in camp is starting with a clean slate and needs to make their impression.

“I think there’s a lot of opportunity for the young guys,” Davidson said. “You still have to have veterans in this league, you still have to have guys that are established and know the grind and know how to lead the way for some of these young players.”

The veterans are here to provide that leadership and help the young core become everyday NHL pros. Davidson has preached patience since the moment he took the job, and he hasn’t lost sight of the philosophy. While it’s very easy to get excited and jump the gun, he’s staying the course and letting his time come together organically.

“There’s no rush to have every single young player that’s in pro play in the NHL,” he said. “There is going to be a lot of availability and a lot of spots open to them to fight amongst each other for. And again, if there’s an opportunity or there’s a situation where a young player is outperforming a veteran, then that should merit a young player playing up the lineup. But they’ve got to earn that, they’ve got to establish that over a course of time. A career isn’t made in a weekend or a preseason, and we’ll give them that runway. But the expectation is that we’ll see a lot more young players, and throughout the year, hopefully, they establish themselves as impact players in the NHL.”

One thing these young players have to keep in mind is that training camp is a marathon and not a sprint. A great first day doesn’t guarantee you an opening night spot, while a bad showing doesn’t doom you to the American Hockey League either.