Blackhawks news and rumors: Mikheyev, Frondell, Moore, Kantserov – The Hockey Writers – Chicago Blackhawks

The dog days of the offseason for the Chicago Blackhawks. We are all patiently waiting for the 2026 NHL Draft, where the organization holds the fourth selection. But there have been a few recent incidents surrounding the Blackhawks. We learned more about where Ilya Mikheyev stands as an unrestricted free agent. Plus, we have updates from the World Championships, including Anton Frondell joining Team Sweden. Finally, I offer comments on the recent signing of Russian top prospect Roman Kantserov.

Let’s get to the latest Blackhawks news and rumors.

Are Mikheyev and the Blackhawks Parting Ways?

Hockey Insider Elliotte Friedman reported on his 32 Thoughts podcast on Monday (May 18) that the Blackhawks and defensive forward Mikheyev may part ways. “It was known throughout the league that Chicago would probably not be able to sign Ilya Mikheyev, so his rights are available. [for trade] if there is a team that wants to talk to him in advance without being free.”

While this is a tough blow for the Blackhawks, it’s also not too shocking. Mikheyev’s name came up in trade rumors at the trade deadline, but the move never materialized. It was also reported that the organization offered Mikheyev a contract extension, but he refused. Scott Powers of The Athletic reported that he believes the offer is in the $4.75 million range, with two to three years of time (from ‘Where things stand between Blackhawks, Ilya Mikeheyev: Interest and pragmatism’, The AthleticCHI – 5/20/2026).

However, the Blackhawks would really like to keep Mikheyev in the fold if they can. In his March 6 press conference, Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said, “Mickey is someone I want to stay around. I really like what he brings to the team. We appreciate him as an organization. I think he plays a big, big role for us … I love having Mickey as a Blackhawk. He’s a good guy, a good family man, and we appreciate him a lot.”

But Davidson understands this may be Mikheyev’s last chance to negotiate a lucrative NHL deal. The Russian striker is not young; he will be 32 in October. So it makes sense that he would try with as much money and time as he could get.

However, all is not completely lost. Mikheyev and his agent are free to explore offers on the open market. Depending on what they find, Davidson can decide whether he wants to increase his offer, or let Mikheyev go.

Mikheyev’s role for the Blackhawks was to play defensively and give up a bad chance. He was also known as one of the best penalty killers in the league. His three short points (one goal and two assists) led the team. His 18 goals ranked third and his 36 goals ranked fourth last season. He was also the only player to finish the season with a positive plus/minus ratio (plus 2).

Can Mikheyev make money with another team? Or will he end up staying with the Blackhawks? We will have to wait and see.

Frondell Ready for Team Sweden

In other news, top Swedish prospect Frondell has joined the Blackhawks for the final 12 games of the 2025-26 season. He exceeded expectations, scoring three goals and nine points while being promoted to second-line center and playing at the top of the power play. Frondell has proven to be more dynamic and responsible defensively than his critics, and Blackhawks fans are excited for his future contributions.

That’s why it was a surprise when Frondell was not ready for the first three matches of the Swedish Team World Championship. The Swedes were mum about this, not giving any kind of explanation. Some suspected that Frondell was injured, but that was never made public.

After the Canadians fell, beating Denmark and losing 4-3 to Team Czechia on May 18, Frondell pulled into the lineup against Slovenia on May 20. He was named to the 13-man roster.^th forward, but it didn’t take long for him to prove that he should be part of the roster.

Frondell provided the first assist on Robert Hagg’s goal and the main assist on Mattias Ekholm’s goal in the 6-0 victory. Below is his assist on the Ekholm goal.

Anton Frondell’s two assists today: pic.twitter.com/AzjwzxcG2i

— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) May 20, 2026

Besides his two assists, the 19-year-old registered four shots on goal in 14:06 minutes of ice time. I don’t think you will be 13^th forward to the next game.

More Updates From The World

The Worlds are currently in full swing, so here’s some news about the Blackhawks participating in the tournament.

Swedish team

Continuing with Team Sweden, netminder Arvid Soderblom is ready for two of the team’s first four tournaments. He stopped 14-of-16 shots in a 6-2 win over Denmark on May 17, and all 16 shots in a 6-0 win over Slovenia on May 21.

Team USA

Oliver Moore is making a positive impact so far with Team USA. The 21-year-old provided the main assist on Isaac Howard’s goal against Great Britain (5-1 win) on May 17. He also provided the main assist against Finland (6-2 loss) on May 18. It was a good effort, showing Moore’s speed to set up Matt Coronato for the goal.

Oliver Moore makes a steal in the D-zone and runs into the O-zone to set up Matt Coronato for a goal: pic.twitter.com/o66kGqtjii

— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) May 18, 2026

Moore was deployed as a second-line spot, but the arrival of Matthew Tkachuk to the team moved him to the fourth line on the wing. That’s where he played in the team’s 4-3 win against Germany on May 20. I’m not sure that’s the best place for Moore going forward. Although, he still logged a healthy 14:30 minutes of ice time, so posting a line can be a little misleading. We will have to monitor this as the tournament progresses.

Defenseman Wyatt Kaiser, on the other hand, doesn’t have the same experience. He has been hit in two games and has a combined minus-6 in the other two games. Wow!

Sam Lafferty has played in all four contests, producing zero points while averaging just over 8 minutes of ice time. He provides a strong team presence.

Team Finland

Teuvo Teravainen left Team Finland’s first game injured and is out of the tournament. It’s been a tough year for Teravainen, especially since he returned to represent Finland at the Olympics in February. He registered just one goal and three points in the final 17 games of the season for the Blackhawks, finishing the campaign playing on the fourth line.

Slovakian team

Finally, the Blackhawks’ second-round pick (35^th Overall) in the 2023 Draft, goalkeeper Adam Gajan, has been in net for two wins so far with Team Slovakia. Gajan stopped 23 of 24 shots in a 4-1 win over Italy on May 17, and 19 of 23 shots in a 5-4 shootout win over Slovenia on May 19.

Kantserov is coming

As Brooke reported last week, the Blackhawks signed Roman Kantserov to an entry-level contract on May 14. The Russian forward was the leading scorer in the KHL last season, with 36 goals and 64 points.

He should provide an immediate boost to the Blackhawks next season. But questions still remain, where will he go on the list? Could he finally be the sidekick fans and pundits alike think will unlock a new level for Connor Bedard?! Or will you fit in better somewhere else? Regardless, it sounds like head coach Jeff Blashill is excited about this new addition. On April 1 at work, he discussed what he saw in Kantserov.

When I look at Kantserov, he’s very smart, he’s very level, he’s very good with the puck, he’s responsible defensively as well. Looks like a guy with a give and go game, really smart. I think he could be a big impact guy. And he has a lot of experience now. I think he has three years of KHL experience, where he led the league in scoring this year. So he’s a guy that I think can make an immediate impact.

We’ll have to wait until training camp to see where Kantserov is planted, but it’s nice to know the Blackhawks have another offensive weapon at their disposal.

That’s it for this edition of Blackhawks News & Rumors. Be sure to keep it here on Hockey Writers for all the latest news, updates and analysis as the off-season continues.

Is it October yet?!