Wyatt Kaiser sits at the center of Chicago’s contract tensions two weeks from camp, with the Blackhawks’ blue line packed by Nolan Allen, Ethan Del Mastro, Kevin Korchinski, and Alex Vlasic. The club leans toward a short-term deal to preserve long-term flexibility, while Kaiser must prove he belongs in a top-six role amid the young group. The dynamic shapes how the defense corps and cap planning evolve into 2025-26.