As NHL Olympic participants return to North America from Milan and rejoin their respective clubs, all the attention has immediately shifted back to the upcoming trade deadline, set for Mar. 6 at 2:00 p.m. CT.
When the 2025-26 NHL regular season resumes on Wednesday, only nine days remain for both buyers and sellers alike to make moves ahead of the closing stretch. While a few significant deals were finalized before the Olympic roster freeze kicked in on Feb. 4, there’s still plenty of action sure to come over the next week and a half.
For the Chicago Blackhawks, they’ll fall into the sellers category at this year’s trade deadline once again. With 25 games to go, the Blackhawks (22-26-9) are currently 10 points behind the Anaheim Ducks for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, giving them a slim chance of sneaking into the postseason. Plus, with six players set to become unrestricted free agents this summer, it only makes sense to sell and recover as many assets as possible, should there not be any extensions in the works.
However, there’s an ulterior motive for the Blackhawks needing to shed some players from the roster before the deadline kicks in next Friday. Several young prospects, such as Nick Lardis, Kevin Korchinski, and Sam Rinzel, are already on the pro scene and could benefit from greater NHL opportunities. Then, there’s 2025 top draft choice Anton Frondell and 2024 first-round pick Sacha Boisvert, who are both reportedly ready to sign entry-level contracts when their seasons come to an end. But for all of that to happen, at least a couple of veterans must be traded to create the necessary openings.
With that being said, it’s very unlikely that all six of the Blackhawks’ pending unrestricted free agents end up getting dealt. It will be fascinating to watch how GM Kyle Davidson handles the entire group, and who comes out still calling Chicago their home.
Here’s a breakdown on each of the six players, and a prediction on their fates ahead of the Mar. 6 trade deadline.
Connor Murphy
Prediction: Goes
The longest-tenured member of the Blackhawks, Murphy has been with the team since the 2017-18 season, when he was still just 24 years old. Now a 32-year-old grizzled veteran with 802 games of NHL experience, Murphy seems rather likely to be dealt to a contender looking to add quality depth on the right side of the blue line. That’s always a premier position of interest at the deadline, and this season doesn’t appear to be any different.
After averaging at least 19 minutes of ice time per game over the last seven seasons, Murphy’s role took a drastic dip to open up 2025-26. He was bumped down to the third pairing and mostly limited to strictly defensive situations or when the Blackhawks were shorthanded. But once Rinzel was demoted to Rockford on Dec. 8, and with Artyom Levshunov’s struggles only increasing since the start of the 2026, Murphy became an essential piece of the right-hand side again leading up to the Olympic break.
Over his last 21 games, Murphy tallied four goals and five assists for nine points, while receiving over 20 minutes of ice time on six occasions during that stretch. Despite the team’s struggles to close out the pre-Olympics portion of the schedule, Murphy himself was having success on both ends of the ice. His offensive production skyrocketed (he had no goals and five assists through his first 39 games), and his defensive play remained steady. Murphy had a plus-two plus-minus rating during those final 21 contests.
There’s a case to be made that the Blackhawks would benefit more from keeping Murphy on the roster for the remainder of the season. After all, both Rinzel and Levshunov have gone through their share of rookie troubles, and trading Murphy leads to an extremely inexperienced right side of the defense. Also, it’s not like the team truly needs the middle-round draft pick that Murphy could recoup. They’re already stacked in terms of draft capital.
However, the Blackhawks’ top priority should be giving their young players more of a chance over the final 25 games, and trading Murphy opens the door for Rinzel and Levshunov behind Louis Crevier on the top pairing. Because of that, Murphy has a very likely chance of getting traded.
Murphy’s one of the six expiring contracts on the roster, and his deal carries a $4.4 million cap hit through the end of this season. The Blackhawks have two salary-retention spots available, and they could use one on Murphy to help increase his value. He’ll likely garner a third-round pick in return, although GM Kyle Davidson will surely push to receive a late second. Cutting Murphy’s cap hit in half (to $2.2 million) through retention could make that happen.
Jason Dickinson
Prediction: Goes
Murphy is the most-likely candidate from the Blackhawks blue line to get traded. For the forward group, Jason Dickinson fits that bill. The 30-year-old center is also in the final year of his current deal that carries a $4.25 million cap hit, slightly lower than Murphy’s.
Dickinson was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks ahead of the 2022-23 season as part of a salary-cap dump and is now in his fourth year with the Blackhawks. After breaking out offensively for a career-best 22 goals and 35 points in 2023-24, it’s been a struggle for Dickinson to produce near the same rate — and also to remain healthy — over the last two seasons. He missed 23 games in 2024-25 with a wrist injury, and a few nagging problems have kept him out of the lineup for 14 games so far in 2025-26.
In his last 102 games, Dickinson has tallied only 13 goals and 16 assists for 29 points. The offensive production hasn’t quite been the same, but that’s really not the nature of his play. Instead, he’s a defense-first center who’s often tasked with playing against the opposing team’s most dangerous offensive line. Dickinson is also a terrific penalty-killer and more than serviceable at the faceoff dot. He’s won at least 49.5 percent of his draws in each of the last three seasons.
Dickinson plays a selfless role for the Blackhawks and doesn’t ever get the credit he truly deserves. Despite regularly being utilized in defensive situations and going up against top-tier offensive players, he has some of the best underlying analytics of any player on the team this season. It’s impressive how he’s established himself as one of the most underrated defensive forwards in the league, and he would be a solid addition for any team looking to improve their penalty kill and bottom six.
Because of his recent offensive dip and the injury risk, the Blackhawks are likely to receive a similar return for Dickinson as they are for Murphy. It probably ends up being a middle-round draft selection, with a third-round pick making the most sense. Retaining half of Dickinson’s $4.25 million cap hit could potentially boost the return up to a second-rounder.
Ilya Mikheyev
Prediction: Stays
While Murphy and Dickinson are the most likely Blackhawks to get traded before the deadline, Ilya Mikheyev could have the highest value among the six pending UFAs. The 31-year-old winger has been an excellent two-way player since getting acquired from the Canucks, as part of another salary-cap dump, ahead of the 2024-25 campaign. His current deal also carries a cap hit just north of $4 million, which is fair for what he provides.
Mikheyev hit 20 goals for the second time as an NHLer in his first season with the Blackhawks and also reached a career-high 34 points. Through 52 games this year, he’s scored 11 goals and added 12 assists for 23 points. He’s pushing for another career-best in overall production, but like Dickinson, it’s not really what he’s best known for.
Mikheyev is a stout penalty killer and defensive forechecker, as he uses his swift skating, an active stick, and his hockey smarts to constantly apply pressure and force opposing players into turnovers and errant passes. He’s been a crucial piece of the Blackhawks’ top-ranked penalty kill this season.
According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the Blackhawks were expected to reach out to Mikheyev’s camp sometime before the Olympic break in hopes of working towards a contract extension. There hasn’t been much of an update ever since, but it’s clear that the team’s desire would be to keep him. However, with Mikheyev able to hit the open market this summer, there’s always a chance he prefers to reach free agency and see what offers he could field. Plus, he could join a more contending club instead of remaining part of the Blackhawks’ rebuild.
Ultimately, with the Blackhawks having an abundance of cap space and needing to shell out money to reach the cap floor next year, Mikheyev likely gets offered more than he would command on the open market. Given the need to spend, re-signing Mikheyev seems well in the cards. That’s most likely at this point, but it’s not a foregone conclusion by any means.
Nick Foligno
Prediction: Stays
Captain Nick Foligno is now in his third year with the Blackhawks after getting traded from the Boston Bruins along with Taylor Hall in the summer of 2023. The 38-year-old forward has taken on a lesser role with each passing season, and with not much runway left in his NHL career, a trade would grant him a chance to chase that ever-elusive Stanley Cup championship.
Foligno was out for two months this season with a hand injury after blocking a shot and has only suited up in 33 of the team’s 57 games. The 19-year veteran has chipped in for two goals and eight assists for 10 points. It’s clear that he’s slowing down and can’t offer the same offensive game, but he still has tons of value with his defensive play and what he provides in the locker room as a leader. He’s a consummate professional that every team would be grateful to have.
Much like Mikheyev, it’s expected that the Blackhawks and Foligno had a conversation during the Olympic break, or at least, since returning to practice last Tuesday, about what he’d like to do moving forward. One way or the other, they’re expected to do right by their captain and let him choose his own fate.
As of this writing, it seems unlikely that Foligno will be traded, but there haven’t been any reports of his final decision. Should this be his last NHL season, no one would blame him for wanting to chase a ring. Ultimately, I think there’s one more run left in him, and he remains with the Blackhawks through at least the end of this year.
Matt Grzelcyk
Prediction: Stays
Matt Grzelcyk has quietly had a fine season down on the third pairing, where he’s mostly been paired with Murphy, the only other veteran on the blue line. After joining the Blackhawks training camp on the PTO, Grzelcyk impressed enough to earn a one-year contract and has suited up in all 57 of the team’s games.
There admittedly hasn’t been much to write home about regarding Grzelcyk’s season, with no goals and 12 assists in his 57 appearances, but he’s been a serviceable No. 6 defenseman and hasn’t had many issues. For being undersized, he’s handled himself well in the defensive zone, and he’s been decent as a puck-mover in transition and on offense.
With just a $1 million cap hit on his contract, Grzelcyk certainly could be appealing to a team searching for a veteran defender on a team-friendly contract. With 66 games of Stanley Cup Playoff experience under his belt, he’s also no stranger to the highest level and can be trusted in a minimal role for a contender.
While the Blackhawks surely want to give Kevin Korchinski and potentially Ethan Del Mastro more of an NHL opportunity, it doesn’t seem too likely that both Grzelcyk and Murphy get moved before the deadline. That feels like a one-or-the-other type of situation, given how young the defense would be without them both.
If the Blackhawks surprisingly elect to keep Murphy, then Grzelcyk’s chances of getting traded will increase. There must be one body moved on the backend, but two feels somewhat risky. Yes, the young players are the priority, but the team doesn’t want the bottom to fall out over the final 25 games. Having at least one veteran defender helps keep some stability.
Sam Lafferty
Prediction: Stays
Sam Lafferty has only played in 19 games for the Blackhawks this season, as he’s mostly been utilized as an extra forward who jumps into the lineup now and again. It’s surely not the role he was hoping for after being acquired from the Buffalo Sabres last summer, but it’s the reality of the situation with so many young players on the roster. They simply get the chances first.
Lafferty is in the final year of the contract that he initially signed with Buffalo, which carries a $2 million cap hit. Considering he only recorded seven points (4G, 3A) in 60 games with the Sabres last season and has just one goal and one assist in 2025-26, there probably aren’t very many teams, if any, curious about his availability.
Even if there was a team that came calling, the Blackhawks might choose to keep Lafferty as an extra forward for the remainder of the year anyway. While it’s admittedly not very fair for Lafferty, the team benefits from having him, as opposed to a young up-and-comer, serve as the 13th or 14th forward on the roster. They’d rather have him out of the lineup for consistent stretches of play compared to a prospect who’s still developing.
Someone has to fill that role, and for the Blackhawks, it’s Lafferty. It would be pretty surprising to see him traded before the deadline.
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