Compared to previous year, the NHL trade deadline for the Chicago Blackhawks is quiet this year.
Nine transactions were executed prior to the trade deadline in 2017 by general manager Kyle Davidson. One of the players dealt was Patrick Kane, possibly the best player in the organization, who asked to be traded to the New York Rangers.
Many of those transactions were necessary to complete this massive rebuild’s roster dismantling phase. The Hawks are currently gathering players to surround Connor Bedard with talent.
According to Scott Wheeler of the Athletic, Davidson is off to a strong start after two drafts that elevated the team’s prospect pool to the seventh-best.
The Hawks have 16 picks in the first three rounds of the next three drafts, but they still need to add more talent through the draft.
However, with the trade deadline providing an additional means of adding draft cash or a prospect, it would still be ideal to have extra picks. The issue is that, unlike last year, the Blackhawks do not have as many players that would be of interest to teams.
One player who makes sense to deal with is Tyler Johnson. As a two-time Stanley Cup winner, he can still contribute a few goals to a third line that is competitive. The Blackhawks may be able to obtain a respectable selection pick if they decide to keep 50% of his compensation.
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