Trading Brandon Hagel Makes The Most Sense For The Blackhawks
By Jim Lynch
Brandon Hagel and the Chicago Blackhawks have been a match made in heaven the past two seasons. Hagel joined the Blackhawks during the 2020-21 season and has become a staple in the lineup ever since, but keeping him around might not be the best option.
The Chicago Blackhawks need to plan for the future, and that might not involve Brandon Hagel.
When the Blackhawks signed Hagel to a three-year 1.5 million AAV contract this past offseason, I am sure they thought they would be better on the ice than they are right now. Brandon Hagel is a good third-liner on a winning team like Andrew Shaw was for the Hawks during their winning days.
His combination of physicality, skill, and speed makes him a dangerous player on the ice, and he has been one Blackhawks fans have loved to watch this season. But just because he is a fan favorite doesn’t mean the Hawks should keep him around long-term, especially if the asking price on a trade is high and seems attainable.
The reported asking price on a Hagel trade has apparently been a first-rounder and a prospect, seems kind of similar to what the Hawks got for Ryan Hartman when they traded him to the Nashville Predators in 2018.
The difference between those two players being Hartman was a former first-round pick, while Hagel was a former sixth the team added in free agency. Here is what Hagel had to say revolving around those trade rumors.
Hagel on reported 1st rounder+prospect asking price:
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) February 22, 2022
“Seeing what they want for me, you have to take that as a compliment, right? I’m a 6th-rounder who was brought in as a 20-year-old, just a kid who came and played, and they want that? I’ll take that any day.”
If the Blackhawks do have an opportunity to move Hagel for as big of a return or even just a first-round pick they should make that happen as soon as possible. Hagel is just one player, and this team needs a lot of things to go right for them to be winning two or three years down the line.
No one on this team is safe from being traded, and that includes Hagel. While he has been a fun player to watch on this team, he is not the top six guy he is on this bad roster. Hagel would be a great addition to a good team’s bottom six, and hopefully, some team out there will be willing to pay the price Chicago is asking for him.