James Mirtle at The Athletic shared a mailbag post yesterday that had a few interesting things in it. I rarely jump too far into those types of posts that aren’t Blackhawks-specific, but the first question in this one raised a fascinating topic to consider moving forward. “Does a quickly rising cap mean less parity?” Here’s part of Mirtle’s response:
It’s going to take time for the new CBA to affect roster construction and, by extension, team quality. Likely three or four years. We saw this offseason how much teams scrambled to lock up their existing talent and how weak an already-thin free agent class was as a result.
But how does that dynamic change if we’re talking about a cap that’s another $20 million or more north of where it is now? How is that extra $640 million league-wide going to get spent? Will it mean a major redistribution of talent, from contending teams to those trying to get better, or is it going to simply make it easier for the Floridas of the league to keep everyone in-house, like they did this summer? Will the full amount even get spent at all?
I’ve cautioned us from getting exceedingly excited about / hope for / expect the Blackhawks to have the opportunity to sign a big ticket, game-changer free agent in the coming years because of the NHL’s salary cap going up as much as it will in the coming years. And the new CBA is going to continue to bring a higher ceiling annually.
While the ceiling going up is because teams are making more money, not every market is equal. People have made a big deal out of states without income tax having an advantage, but teams that can charge more for tickets, concessions and other merch — like the Rangers, Leafs, Canadiens, Blackhawks — have an even bigger advantage as the salary cap continues to go up.
Will a rapidly rising NHL salary cap end the parity era? Plus questions on the Bruins, Red Wings, Blackhawks, and the draft in the latest mailbag t.co/IrZy5EoKGd
— James Mirtle (@mirtle) August 14, 2025 Mirtle was also asked where he thinks the Blackhawks will finish this season (will they be back at the bottom of the league). While he said the bottom of the league — Blackhawks, Sharks — are improving, they’re doing it together. And, importantly, there aren’t other teams sprinting to the bottom to join them (though I would argue Pittsburgh should do that at some point, they likely won’t be that bad as long as Sidney Crosby is there). So he does think the Blackhawks will have some growing pains this year and will likely be better (he predicts they’ll be in the 70-75 point range), but that’s still near the bottom of the league. Here’s part of what Mirtle said about the Blackhawks approach this summer:I actually thought they made the right move with a pretty quiet offseason this year. There was talk at the combine that perhaps GM Kyle Davidson would be really aggressive, throwing huge money at the Marners of the world, but instead they’ve left open nearly $20 million in cap space to try and accumulate future assets and aim for a rise up the standings in another couple years.
It’s going to mean a frustrating season at times for players like Connor Bedard, but trying to fast-track what they’re doing there could have been a disaster. As mentioned with the Red Wings, it’s a long road going full-rebuild in the NHL right now, even if everything breaks your way and you win some lotteries. If Chicago had signed a big-name UFA this summer, that huge-salaried star could be well onto the wrong side of the aging curve by the time they’re ready to contend and still making big money.
Contrast that with the upside of adding another pick at the top of a strong 2026 draft, and it’s a no-brainer decision.
After I shared our look at the all-time best Blackhawks goaltenders yesterday, Tommy M. on Facebook asked about goalie records for penalty minutes. I hadn’t considered it, but… looking at the Blackhawks’ all-time records on NHL.com made me chuckle. Ed Belfour has the Blackhawks’ all-time mark for PIM from a goaltender with 240. Second place? Glenn Hall — with only 52! Ron Hextall has the all-time NHL record for penalty minutes for a goalie (569). Billy Smith is second all-time (475). I’ve talked a fair amount here about giving Brent Seabrook his flowers for being an important part of the Blackhawks dynasty teams because his excellent play was in the shadow of Duncan Keith winning awards and his leadership was often overlooked because Jonathan Toews was the captain. If Seabrook is taken for granted, Niklas Hjalmarsson also needs to get his proper respect. He was arguably the best shut-down, shot-blocking defenseman of the 2010s. Terrific piece here from Kevin Powell at WGN Radio on the Hammer.Niklas Hjalmarrson was a shot-blocking machine during the Blackhawks' Stanley Cup run.@KPowell720 has more on "Hammer" with today's Centennial Profile! t.co/Kk9tjeIHGh
— WGN Radio 720 (@WGNRadio) August 14, 2025 How about a Michigan goal in Sweden — from a Blackhawks prospect! Joel Svensson, the Hawks’ fifth-round pick (No. 138) in the 2024 NHL Draft, pulled one off. Absolutely love to see it. twitter.com/hockeyallsvensk/status/1955902211327766786 Anton Frondell lined up as the second-line center for Djurgården’s preseason game on Thursday.#LIFDIF | ?????Här är säsongens första gul-röd-blåa Djurgårdslag! ??#DIFHockey | #AlltidOavsett pic.twitter.com/jiu33pog6K
— Djurgården Hockey (@DIFHockeyse) August 14, 2025 The Utah Mammoth announced forward Caleb Desnoyers, the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, had wrist surgery and will miss approximately 12 weeks. I’m sure many here will remember I was big on Desnoyers as a potential pick for the Blackhawks. Chicago took Frondell.MORE FROM BLEACHER NATION: Go Ad Free | Subscribe to the BN Newsletter
Owen Caissie should have had an extra base hit in his first big league at bat. He got robbed. The Bulls released their schedule for the 2025-26 season. How about some Big Ten (and Notre Dame) college football updates? Finally, the crossover content we live for here at Bleacher Nation:Coach Blashill?Coach Johnson pic.twitter.com/jr68x7Cr7A
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) August 14, 2025Hence then, the article about love for hammer parity concerns blashill bears down a michigan goal and other blackhawks bullets was published today ( ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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