Blackhawks: Should they be buyers or sellers at trade deadline?

The Chicago Blackhawks must figure out their deadline strategy. It could very well depend on what happens in the next two weeks.

Going into this season, few people thought the Chicago Blackhawks would be in the playoff hunt. Most had them finishing close to the bottom of the standings in the Western Conference. They finished 2019 with one of the lowest point percentages in the NHL. However, 2019 has been far more kind to them, as they have the third-best point percentage in the Western Conference since Jan. 1. This has put them right in the thick of the playoff race in the West.

Entering Feb. 3, the Blackhawks are just three points short of the Arizona Coyotes for the second wild-card spot, and merely six points short of the Dallas Stars for third place in the Central Division. Now, a month ago, it would have made all the sense in the world for them to be sellers at the trade deadline on Feb. 24. But now they’ve got a really interesting decision to make – should they be buyers or sellers?

There are good arguments for both sides, so let’s take a look.

Why The Blackhawks Should Be Buyers

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Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, and Patrick Kane aren’t getting any younger. If the Blackhawks feel like they can make the playoffs this season, they owe it to them to at least try to get some reinforcements.

The Western Conference is pretty weak this season. There’s no clear juggernaut team except for maybe the Colorado Avalanche and St. Louis Blues. And even then, both teams have been looking flawed as of late.

Being a buyer doesn’t mean they have to mortgage their future. They could simply pursue reasonably priced defensemen and maybe a depth forward.

And for the first time in a while, cap space probably won’t be an issue for them. According to CapFriendly, the Blackhawks are projected to have over $12 million of cap space for the deadline. Of course, that depends on Andrew Shaw and Calvin de Haan. Both have been on the LTIR since December. But if they don’t think they’ll be back before the postseason starts, they’ll have a ton of money to play with at the deadline.

As currently constructed, the Blackhawks probably don’t have a Stanley Cup contender. But if things go their way, thanks to a flawed playoff system that guarantees at least one of the top three teams in each division is eliminated in the first round, the Blackhawks could be a darkhorse Stanley Cup contender.

Why The Blackhawks Should Be Sellers

Let’s not kid ourselves. Even if the Blackhawks make the postseason, they’re probably not going anywhere. While making the Stanley Cup Playoffs is nice, it might not be best for the Hawks to make the postseason.

A good cautionary tale for them are the Detroit Red Wings. They mortgaged their future to extend their playoff streak despite not making it out of the second round for the final seven years of said streak. The Red Wings are a complete mess and it’s going to take them a while to get out of it.

Again, the playoffs are nice, but ask Red Wings fans if they’d rather have a bunch of second-round and first-round exits or be in a much better position right now, and I’m sure most would pick the latter.

Also, the Blackhawks are in a really good position to be sellers at the deadline. Brandon Saad, who has another year left on his deal after this season, could fetch them a very nice haul. The Hawks would be wise to set a very high price for him (likely one that includes a 2020 first-round pick) and see if anyone’s willing to take the bait.

But the biggest reason they’re well-suited to be sellers is that they have three intriguing rental options – Erik Gustafsson, Robin Lehner, and Corey Crawford. Sure, Gustafsson hasn’t been very good this year, but just last year, he was among the most productive defensemen in the NHL. Even with his struggles, that makes him intriguing enough to at least warrant a third-round pick, if not more.

Lehner and Crawford, though, are by far the most intriguing of the trio. Mostly because teams typically don’t give up much for goalies at the trade deadline (especially rentals). However, Lehner and Crawford aren’t your typical rentals. The former has been one of the best goalies in the NHL over the past two seasons and should probably get a Vezina Trophy nomination for a second straight season. Meanwhile, the latter has won two Stanley Cups and is still at worst a league-average goalie.

The Verdict

Honestly, the decision on whether or not to be buyers or sellers is likely out of the Blackhawks hands. It depends more on how the rest of the Western Conference shakes out. If the Hawks continue to excel, it will be much easier for them to justify being buyers. It will be even easier to do so if the teams they’re close to continue to struggle.

At the same time, if other teams such as the Nashville Predators or Coyotes pick up the pace, the Blackhawks could find themselves out of the playoff race. Or at least more out of it than they currently are. It will be fascinating to see what the Hawks decide to do at the trade deadline.