5 potential trade deadline moves for the Chicago Blackhawks
After a disappointing start to the 2021-22 regular season, the Chicago Blackhawks look like they are experiencing yet another year where they fall short of the playoffs. Now that the “return to the glory days” experiment seems to have fallen short of its goal, the Blackhawks will most likely be returning to the idea of a rebuild under interim general manager Kyle Davidson.
While Davidson may not be the general manager past this season, there are some trades the Chicago Blackhawks could make to set the team in a prosperous direction for the next few years. These trades were all formulated under the idea that the Blackhawks will not be making the playoffs and will be looking to expand their assets.
While I am nowhere near a professional in the trading world, these are five trades that I could see the Blackhawks trying to make to boost their future success. In addition to being theoretical trades, many lean heavily on trying to nab hidden gems in NHL teams’ rosters rather than simply going after draft picks. That being said, here are some trades the Blackhawks could look to make once the trade deadline rolls around.
Marc-André Fleury
Marc-André Fleury is the most obvious candidate for the Blackhawks to trade. When Fleury was acquired this past summer, the Vegas Golden Knights received Mikael Hakkarainen, who was put on unconditional waivers for contract termination not long after.
Clearly, Fleury’s market value is not exceptionally high. However, with half of his salary retained, he becomes a $3.5 million goaltender. This dramatically increases Fleury’s value, especially for a team desperate for goaltending, such as the Edmonton Oilers.
Unfortunately, the Oilers have had sketchy goaltending all season. While Mikko Koskinen has gotten his fair share of the starts, he is in the final year of his contract, and Fleury is a massive upgrade between the pipes.
The return for the Blackhawks is primarily a result of freeing up cap space for the Oilers. Koskinen is being thrown in primarily to fill the slot that Fleury is leaving open. Because this is freeing up some money for the Oilers to spend elsewhere, a 2023 sixth-round pick is also included. However, the major pull that the Blackhawks are receiving in this trade is Carter Savoie.
Carter Savoie is mainly known for being the older brother of highly-rated prospect Matthew Savoie. However, while he has nowhere near the same draft stock as his brother, Carter is no slouch in making a name for himself.
Savoie currently has 22 points in 16 games for the University of Denver. In addition, he has a level of goal-scoring prowess that many other prospects do not. As a result, Savoie could be an incredibly beneficial addition to a rebuilding Blackhawks team. Besides, it never hurts to have another young, talented goal-scorer playing alongside Patrick Kane.
Calvin de Haan
Calvin de Haan has been a part of trade talks for a long time. When the Blackhawks acquired him in 2019, it seemed like a slam dunk of a trade. The Blackhawks acquired a talented defensive defenseman that was getting paid a reasonable amount until 2022.
However, now that his contract is nearing its end, the Blackhawks should be looking to gather some assets. Considering that the New York Rangers are looking like they will be making the playoffs, trading for de Haan makes a lot of sense. Most of their defensemen are young, and he provides a veteran presence and playoff experience. The Rangers could get a lot of use out of him.
As far as the return for de Haan, a fifth-round pick seems like a fair deal. Most likely, a fifth-round pick is an extent of what could be worked out of this trade, but potentially that could be pushed with a few more assets.
Regardless, this trade is all about recouping assets for the Blackhawks before de Haan’s contract expires. If all they receive in return for this trade is a draft pick, they will still be getting more in this trade than if they let de Haan go in free agency this summer.
Dylan Strome
Of all the current players in the NHL who never lived up to their potential, one of the most prominent names on that list is Dylan Strome. Strome was acquired from the Arizona Coyotes back in 2018. He looked like perhaps all he needed was a change of scenery to get his NHL career on track in that season.
Unfortunately, however, his most recent seasons with the Blackhawks have been less than stellar. As a result, Strome has been circulating trade talks for the past year, and with his contract coming to an end this offseason, now seems like a better time than ever to pull the trigger. Considering that the Toronto Maple Leafs have been trying to revitalize careers all season long, what better place is there for him to end up than with the Leafs?
The return for Strome is undoubtedly not what the Blackhawks would have received had they traded him months ago, but there is still some value there. A 2023 third-round pick seems like a reasonable price for a player with untapped potential. However, the pick is there to round out the trade value. The real prize in this trade is Alex Steeves.
Alex Steeves appeared out of seemingly thin air. He went through all his draft-eligible years without getting a chance by an NHL club. However, after massively growing his game at Notre Dame over three seasons, the Maple Leafs offered him a rookie contract this past offseason.
During his time with the Toronto Marlies, Steeves has been averaging a point-per-game. There is some potential hidden beneath the surface. He could be a future depth piece for the Blackhawks if he continues his current development curve. Depth can be just as important as star talent, and considering Strome is already glorified depth, this trade has a lot of potential to age well.
Dominik Kubalik
Dominik Kubalik was a player that spent a long time developing into the player he is today. He was initially a draft pick of the Los Angeles Kings, but he never found a way to fit into the roster and was eventually traded to the Blackhawks.
Kubalik has provided solid goal-scoring talent to the club since he broke into the league. However, if the Blackhawks are genuinely entering a rebuild, he is a piece that could provide more assets to use as the rebuild develops.
Sean Tschigerl was drafted in the fifth round by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. He has been putting up a point-per-game average in the WHL this season. Clearly, his selection in the fifth round was a steal for the Ducks.
As a result, getting this return seems a bit far-fetched, but perhaps the desperation to perform in the playoffs would lead the Ducks to stretch a bit. Seeing how Kubalik provides solid offensive-driving talent, the Ducks could use a talent like that to prove that they’re on the right track.
The two draft picks included in this trade balance out the value between the two teams. Kubalik on his own has value, but perhaps not enough to get both Tschigerl and a third-round pick. On the other hand, throwing in a fifth-round pick could add just enough weight to incentivize the Ducks to throw in a mid-round pick. After all, teams do become more desperate at the trade deadline.
Jonathan Toews
Ok, wait, hear me out. Jonathan Toews has been the face of the Blackhawks franchise since the first Stanley Cup was brought home in 2010. So trading him is practically blasphemy. Unfortunately, Toews’ contract is nearing the final year.
There is a chance that he stays on the Blackhawks on a smaller contract, but in the meantime, why not trade him for more assets? Part of an effective rebuild is correctly managing assets. Letting Toews go to a team in need of a solid two-way forward, such as the Colorado Avalanche, is the perfect way to work a rebuild correctly.
The biggest issue is cap space as far as a trade for the Avalanche. They are starting to become strapped for cap space, so trading away Tyson Jost would benefit them. While Jost has been a valuable addition to the Avalanche, his contract is eating away at money that could be used for playoff players.
In exchange for taking Jost’s contract off the Avalanche’s hands and retaining half of Toews’ contract, the Blackhawks also get a first-round pick out of this deal. First-round picks are beneficial in rebuilding, so it is a no-brainer that the Blackhawks would be in the market for one.
Shane Bowers is a bit of a different case than most prospects discussed in these trades. Bowers has had issues finding his footing at a professional level. He has spent the last three seasons on the Colorado Eagles in the AHL.
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He has never quite brought his game to the next level in those three years. So allowing him to test out a change of scenery with the Blackhawks could end up being a steal for them if it works out. The first-round pick could still pan out even if Bowers falls short of his goal. Regardless of the outcome, taking a chance on Bowers is a low-risk, high-reward move.