What should the Chicago Blackhawks do with their 2024-2025 pending free agents?

Philipp Kurashev

Kurashev revitalized his career this past season alongside Connor Bedard, more than doubling his career highs in goals and points (18 goals, 54 points). He likely won’t be a first-liner by the time the rebuild is complete, but he appears to be a solid top-six scorer. Davidson may not be in a rush to extend him in order to see if last season was just a flash in the pan. But if Kurashev has another season on par with 2023, it’s plausible he could receive a long-term deal similar to Vlasic’s at around a $5 million AAV.

Ryan Donato

The Harvard product has proven to be a reliable 25-30-point scorer over his career. A jack-of-all-trades, Donato spent time on every forward line last season and endeared himself to teammates with his work ethic and penchant for winning battles.

That being said, like Athanasiou, Donato may find himself pushed out the door due to his age (28) and incoming prospects. With only a $2 million AAV, contenders will certainly be interested in Donato’s services as a rental for the playoffs.

Landon Slaggert

Like Frank Nazar, the Hawks got Slaggert into some games this spring in order to burn the first year of his entry-level contract and lower his salary on his second contract. The 2020 third-rounder played adequately in his brief audition, registering a goal and 4 points over 16 games in limited minutes. There’s a good chance Slaggert will spend some time in the AHL next season with Rockford in order to further develop his game, but the Hawks will most definitely re-sign him, likely to a short-term deal worth around $1 million annually.