Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Wyatt Kaiser was a different player when he returned from the Rockford IceHogs late last season.

In his last 22 games of the season, Kaiser influenced the game in a way he and the Blackhawks had hoped, and he saw glimpses of his prospect showcase performance from 2023. It was a change in his game, but also in his mentality.

“I’d say I’m just skating again like I can instead of me trying to do things … just a lot of different voices,” Kaiser explained in March. “Kind of getting back to my game where it’s skating, making plays, controlling the puck. Yeah, I think a little bit back on that, where it’s starting to click a little bit where it’s I have to skate to play. It’s not sometimes simple. Sometimes it’s beating a guy. Sometimes it’s the easy play. But it’s always skating, moving and playing fast.”

So, what do those 22 games mean in the big picture? Kaiser’s improved play came at an ideal time as he was about to enter restricted free agency this offseason. Still, it also brought along a mixed picture of his first two full professional seasons. Will Kaiser’s game now stay on track, or might he revert to his up-and-down play? Kaiser looked dominant at times last season, but the Blackhawks also assigned him to Rockford twice.

The Blackhawks and Kaiser’s agent have been negotiating a new contract for about a month. As of Monday afternoon, the two sides had yet to agree on a deal. While the 23-year-old Kaiser has been in Chicago participating in informal “captain” practices, he won’t be able to report to the Blackhawks on Wednesday for his medical evaluation without a finished contract.

One of the main reasons Kaiser doesn’t have a contract yet is that he wasn’t arbitration-eligible as he hit restricted free agency. If he had been, Kaiser’s contract would have likely been resolved one way or another already. But because he wasn’t, both sides have had more flexibility in how they approach negotiations — not that flexibility guarantees a deal.

The Blackhawks like Kaiser and believe he can be a top-four defenseman within their young defensive group. He has a two-way game that most of the other defensemen don’t possess. At the same time, they’d like to see him play at that level for another season to be sure. If he were to do that, they’ll be happy to pay him what he’s worth come next season. The Blackhawks have a lot of young defensemen coming. With only so many NHL defenseman roster spots available, they want to be confident in the players they commit to long-term. Kaiser could be one of them but probably isn’t just yet.

From Kaiser’s side, the belief is that those late-season games were a sign of things to come — that he figured something out about the NHL and his game in those last few months and will only build on that in the future. If you project the impact he had as Artyom Levshunov’s defensive partner, along with Kaiser’s ice time and his three goals and two assists in those 22 games, Kaiser’s potential has a huge ceiling in the years to come.

The Blackhawks are believed to be offering Kaiser an increase in pay from the $916,667 cap hit on his entry-level deal, but it isn’t exactly the bump Kaiser and his camp are looking for.

The clock is obviously ticking, but both sides are still hopeful that a deal can be done. Neither party wants Kaiser to miss any of training camp. The Blackhawks and Kaiser want him to have a remarkable season and start on the right foot come the first day of practice on Thursday.

Will that happen? Time will tell.

(Photo: Melissa Tamez / Getty Images)