So, who could Kyle Davidson possibly be looking at?
Casey Mittelstadt name has been flying around the trade windmill for the past few days now.
Mittelstadt was the eighth overall pick in the 2017 draft by the Buffalo Sabres. After seven seasons with the Sabres he was traded to the Avalanche for Bowen Byram on March 6th, 2024.
Mittelstadt is now 26 years old and carries a cap hit of $5,700,000 per year. This season with Colorado he has nine goals and 20 assists, tallying up to 29 points in 49 games.
He'd be a decent get if Davidson can pull it off.
However, the big fish to fry is Mikko Rantanen, the 28-year-old star winger.
Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon have been the best center-winger duo in the league for quite some time, and getting Rantanen on a line with Connor Bedard could be too good to pass up.
Rantanen currently has 64 points through 49 games on the year so far, and could really elevate the Blackhawks into being a contender sooner. He currently makes $9.25 million and is a free agent in the summer.
The Avalanche and Rantanen haven't struck a deal yet, and the Blackhawks have the cap space to pay him whatever he wants. It can certainly work.
But, who can the Blackhawks send over?
The obvious answer would be a defenseman/forward package, or just a couple forwards. Although, there is a better option to trade, and probably the only place he would go, Colorado.
That is defenseman Seth Jones. Jones has been on thin ice with the fans ever since he signed that ridiculous contract, which was the last thing Stan Bowman did.
Jones is 30 and will be here for until the 2029-30 season and has a cap hit of $9,500,000. The contract is too long for his age and he's overpaid. Plus, he has an NMC, so you can't move him anywhere without his permission.
Jones has 20 points in 31 games but is a -11.
To be fair, Jones has been performing okay the last three games, so if Kyle is going to trade him, he has to do it now when his value is there.
To add, Seth's brother and former Hawk, Caleb Jones, is in the Avalanche organization. And his dad works for the organization, as well.
A trade would work on both ends and if they could figure it all out money wise, it'll be a win-win.