The Chicago Blackhawks will be in the seller’s market once again at this year’s trade deadline, which is now only one week away. With six veterans on expiring contracts at the end of the 2025-26 season, the Blackhawks are expected to be among the more active sellers before 2:00 p.m. CT next Friday, Mar. 6.
During the latest episode of 32 Thoughts, which dropped on Friday morning, Elliotte Friedman offered some updates on a few of the Blackhawks’ trade chips with the deadline swiftly approaching.
First, Friedman mentioned that Connor Murphy is among several defensemen who are available around the league, which could make it more challenging for GM Kyle Davidson to find a favorable return for the 32-year-old. Dougie Hamilton (NJD), Justin Faulk (STL), Tyler Myers (VAN), and Rasmus Ristolainen (PHI) are just a few of the right-handed blue-liners who are also on the market.
Murphy, the longest-tenured member of the Blackhawks, has been with the team since the 2017-18 season. Should he still be in the lineup on Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche, he will tie Dirk Graham for the 35th-most games played in franchise history. But considering his age, his expiring contract, and a crowded D-core filled with young players, his time in Chicago is likely ending in the next seven days.
Friedman also reported that the Blackhawks have attempted to work out a contract extension with 31-year-old winger Ilya Mikheyev, but have been unsuccessful up to this point. Subsequently, Mikheyev is now “out there” on the trade market.
Mikheyev is also set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and likely wants to cash in on his next deal after a strong first year and a half in Chicago. After scoring 20 goals and recording a career-high 34 points in 2024-25, Mikheyev has 23 points (11G, 12A) through 53 games this season and has been a key piece of the Blackhawks’ top-ranked penalty kill. He’s effectively become one of the NHL’s most effective penalty-killing forwards and is a consistent double-digit goal scorer.
The Blackhawks have shown their desire to re-sign Mikheyev, and they have the cap space to shell out some extra money and keep him around. However, the holdup is likely due to the term, as Davidson could be hesitant to offer an extension longer than two years, considering Mikheyev’s age.
If the two sides cannot agree to a new deal before next Friday, the Blackhawks will be forced to move Mikheyev, or they risk losing him for nothing in free agency.
As for a surprise trade candidate, Friedman mentioned teams are wondering about the future of defenseman Kevin Korchinski in Chicago. With all the young players the Blackhawks have on the back end, Korchinski, who’s spent the last two seasons in the minors, could potentially be available for the right price.
Still only 21 years old, Korchinski will be a restricted free agent this summer, and he won’t command much for his next deal, with only 94 NHL games under his belt. A former No. 7 overall pick in 2022, there’s still reason to believe in his upside, and he may be intriguing for a team with little cap space.
It would be a shame to see Korchinski’s tenure in Chicago end this early, but with Sam Rinzel and Artyom Levshunov, two other offensive-minded defenseman, ahead of him in the pecking order, there might not be a future role for Korchinski in the Blackhawks rebuild.
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