The 2025-26 season for the Chicago Blackhawks didn’t have that many bright spots, but one standout group was the penalty-killing unit, which finished as the second-best group in the league at an 83.6% success rate. Much of that success, however, will be difficult to replicate. The PK unit was led by forward Ilya Mikheyev, who became an unrestricted free agent Wednesday. GM Kyle Davidson has mentioned that he’d like to bring Mikheyev back, but it’d be difficult to justify the cost. Just now, Mikheyev signed a four-year contract with the Lightning, so that possibility was quickly put to rest.
Before Mikheyev’s departure, Chicago got rid of Connor Murphy and Jason Dickinson, two excellent penalty killers in their own right. On the defensive end, they’re also losing Louis Crevier, who was traded to the Sabres in the Bowen Byram deal last week. They’ll have to rebuild the unit from the ground up.
In their first deal of NHL free agency on Wednesday morning, Davidson and the Blackhawks did just that. They signed veteran winger Cole Smith to a three-year, $9 million deal ($3 million AAV).
Smith averaged more than two minutes of ice time per game on the penalty kill over his last three seasons with the Predators. He’s widely regarded as a strong grinder and defensive forward, and is probably as close to a PK specialist as a player can get in the current NHL landscape. Last season with Nashville, he spent just over 14 minutes on the ice per game, only logging 10 goals. He added two goals after being traded at the deadline to Vegas. Smith is 30 years old and has been credited with 790 hits and 105 shots blocked in 292 career games.
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Around 10 minutes later, Frank Seravalli announced a second penalty killer would be headed to the Blackhawks, this time a defenseman.
Ian Cole profiles as a reliable wall on the PK unit and a strong shot-blocker. At 37 years old, this is nothing but a depth signing to give the Blackhawks a shorthanded boost, but he’s a decent find given the lack of help available. He notched 23 assists and a plus-16 mark for the Mammoth last year and logged over 18 minutes per game.
Neither of these players will move the needle for the Blackhawks, and yes, they do feel like the annual veteran depth overpays we’ve seen from Chicago over the past few years to get to the cap floor. But for all the complaints about how this team needs size and grit, Davidson just went and got some. The penalty killing unit is stabilized and should once again be a strength of the Blackhawks next season.
These moves do not excuse Davidson from making a move to get Connor Bedard some help on the top forward line. He’ll still be looking to get active today and throughout this week to acquire a big name. Smith and Cole don’t fill the gap that Mikheyev and Connor Murphy left on the forward and defensive lines respectively, but they’re at least a start as the Blackhawks’ roster for next season begins to take shape.
