July 1 may have passed, but there are still some interesting players who remain unrestricted free agents. Interestingly, a handful of the top remaining UFAs played are former Blackhawks.
This is because Patrick Kane, Matt Grzelcyk, Philipp Kurashev, and David Kampf all remain unsigned.
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Out of these four former Blackhawks, Kane is, of course, the most notable player. The Blackhawks legend is still an impactful top-six winger at this stage of his career, posting 57 points in 67 games last season with the Detroit Red Wings. The idea of him returning to Chicago is a fun thought but also very unlikely. He will likely head to a contender if he does not re-sign with Detroit.
After posting 12 assists in 69 games last season with the Blackhawks, Grzelcyk is still unsigned. The 5-foot-10 defenseman had to earn a contract through a PTO from Chicago last year after posting 40 points in 82 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2024-25. Will he get a contract from another NHL club more quickly this summer?
After not receiving a qualifying offer from the Blackhawks last summer, Kurashev signed with the San Jose Sharks and had a decent 2025-26 campaign. In 43 games, the 6-foot forward had seven goals and 20 points. Teams looking for more secondary offensive production could consider signing the 26-year-old.
As for Kampf, the 31-year-old center posted two goals and six points in 40 games last season split between the Vancouver Canucsks and Washington Capitals. He doesn’t offer a lot of offense, but he works well in a bottom-six role because of his strong defensive play and thrives at the faceoff dot.
