Blackhawks must trade these three players before it's too late
The Chicago Blackhawks have been active recently, extending the contracts of three players: Nick Foligno, Petr Mrazek, and Jason Dickinson.
According to Kyle David, these extensions have provided the team with much-needed stability and leadership.
However, with these new contracts, the team will need to consider future moves to free up cap space for further rebuilding or how to best utilize it. As the trade deadline approaches in five weeks, there are three players and/or assets that David could consider moving.
Firstly, Colin Blackwell, who recently returned from sports hernia surgery, could be a valuable addition to any team looking for depth.
Another look at Blackwell's hit on MacKinnon#Blackhawks | #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/xipDZeLCnr� Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) December 20, 2023
He has proved himself to have a next-man-up mentality, taking ownership of his game and bringing an edge to his play. Blackwell has also demonstrated that he can handle big minutes on the 2nd and 3rd line.
Secondly, Jarred Tinordi, a tough blueliner who can eat minutes and is not afraid of getting rough, could be an attractive character for coaches looking for depth in the playoffs.
As numerous young blueliners are trying to secure a spot on the rebuilding team, David should get all the assets he can out of Tinordi. The team could eat half of his $1.25 Million contract, making his expiring contract a $625k cost, which will be very attractive to teams on a tight budget.
Finally, the Blackhawks could weaponize their cap space again to take on a bad contract, similar to the Nikita Zaitsev deal, in which they took on the contract and received a pick in return. They should use their cap space to their advantage while they still have a significant amount of it.
This strategy has resulted in steals, like Jason Dickinson, who has revitalized his career in Chicago, and the team paid a 2nd round pick to take on his $2.65 Million salary.
The Blackhawks still have time to move multiple assets and maximize their value. It's debatable if they should have traded Foligno, Mrazek, or Dickinson, but they have decided that these players are valuable to the team.
As another rebuilding season concludes, the team will have to consider what moves are best while building the team around Connor Bedard for the future.
As Seen On: thehockeywriters.com
| POLL | ||
Do you think Jarred Tinordi or Colin Blackwell should be traded? | ||
| Yes | 74 | 53.2 % |
| No | 65 | 46.8 % |
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