It has been a looooong time since we’ve been able to have this conversation. We’re approaching Thanksgiving in the U.S., a time when many NHL teams are able to assess where they’re at in the standings. After a shocking 19-game start, the Blackhawks find themselves near the top, sitting in a tie for fifth in the Western Conference. That means the rumor mill is already getting going, and many have Chicago actually listed as a buyer, as opposed to the seller status they’ve had for the better part of this decade. That could make the trade deadline interesting.
But could the Blackhawks actually be buyers over the next few months? It initially seemed unlikely, but now the question isn’t so far-fetched. At this point, Chicago is faced with three choices.
Could they be sellers?
Almost certainly not. We’ve seen them offload some of their most talented players at the deadline in years past, but this is a different team from those squads. They certainly don’t need picks, and their roster is plenty deep enough. The Blackhawks have several high-performing players with contracts expiring next summer, like Ilya Mikheyev, Jason Dickinson, Connor Murphy, and Matt Grzelcyk, but I’d much rather see them resign Mikheyev and Grzelcyk than offer them as a rental to a playoff contender (which they might be themselves). A move to offload talent for multiple assets doesn’t do Chicago much good at this point.
Could they be buyers?
A bit trickier of a question. Many fans advocate for the team to bring on as much talent as possible all at once, but the Blackhawks and GM Kyle Davidson have been patient so far, and it’s clearly working. I’ve seen analysts advocating for older skaters like Steven Stamkos—players on underperforming teams looking for a change of scenery. Stamkos has five points in 20 games, a brutal mark for the 35-year-old. A guy like that isn’t exactly a fit in Chicago due to his age, lack of production, and high acquisition cost. I’d pass.
A bit more appealing of an option could be Tage Thompson in Buffalo. The cost would be significantly higher, but he’d be a much better fit. He has 17 points in 19 games on a rough Sabres team, is still 28 years old, and is in year three of a seven-year, $50 million deal. That’s solid value for a player of Thompson’s stature who could potentially slot in on the top line with Connor Bedard.
Could they stay the course?
The problem with a player like Thompson, or even Stamkos, is the acquisition cost. The Blackhawks have a great thing going with the roster and system that they have. To bring in a big fish in the trade market could get them over the hump, but it could also be a big risk. Who do they deal? A lot of their top prospects still have enough upside that it would be tough to package them in a trade.
At this point, as the Blackhawks near the end of their rebuild, their best bet may be to stay the course. Chicago may not necessarily be set up for playoff hockey yet this year, but if they can maintain their current level of play, they could do something shocking. And to do so with a roster built almost entirely from the ground up would be pretty impressive. While it would be fun to see the Blackhawks bring in a big name before the trade deadline, the best move may be no move at all.