Which Blackhawks Could Be Moved Before the Trade Deadline?
After the Blackhawks’ five-player deal with the Florida Panthers on Thursday, it’s clear Stan Bowman is actively looking to tweak his roster for the 2021 season with an eye on the future.
The 2021 NHL trade deadline is Monday, April. 12 at 2 PM CT. Chicago still has a lot of cap space, most of which comes from players being on LTIR. Bowman could leverage this cap space to make a couple more intriguing deals. Keep in mind, however, the Blackhawks still need to keep their roster compliant for the expansion draft this summer.
So which other players in the Blackhawks’ system could be trade bait between now and the deadline on Monday afternoon?
Mattias Janmark
2021 cap hit: $2.25M
Contract: UFA after 2021 season
Janmark, 28, has easily out-played his contract this season. After producing 21 points in 62 games in Dallas last year, Janmark has 19 points through 41 this year. His 11 goals have been a huge plus, and he’s skating his highest ice time (16:49) in three years; coincidentally, the 2017-18 season saw him skate comparable minutes (16:56) and score a career-high 19 goals.
A team looking to add depth scoring (see: Boston) at an affordable price will likely give Bowman a call to see what the price is on Janmark. He’s been a great addition this season, but his one-year contract made him a rental with upside to potentially sell at the deadline from Day one.
Dylan Strome
2021 cap hit: $3M
Contract: RFA after the 2021-22 season
This would be a more significant piece for the Blackhawks to deal before the deadline. Obviously he’s good friends with Alex DeBrincat and recently became a father, but in the business of professional sports those aspects rarely matter when making decisions.
When he was acquired from Arizona during the 2018-19 season, he exploded and became a big part of the Blackhawks’ offense. Since then he’s had ups and downs offensively and still isn’t great at the dot. A move involving Strome would need to bring back a more significant piece for the future, but certainly isn’t out of the realm of possibilities.
Carl Söderberg
2021 cap hit: $1M
Contract: UFA after 2021 season
Söderberg was a late addition to the roster when both Jonathan Toews and Kirby Dach were lost for a significant amount of the 2021 season. And he’s been exactly what the Blackhawks hoped they were getting: a solid veteran center who wins faceoffs and plays well on both ends of the ice. Söderberg is winning 51 percent of his faceoffs this season and is skating 15 minutes per night. With six goals and eight assists in 33 games, he’s shown some offensive ability as well; he scored 17 goals in Arizona last year and 23 with Colorado in 2018-19.
At only $1M this season, a team looking to bolster its center depth could easily make a deal to add him to their roster. If the Blackhawks want to take a longer look at Pius Suter, Philipp Kurashev and Strome at center in the final month of the season, Söderberg could be available.
Matej Chalupa
2021 cap hit: $925k
Contract: RFA after the 2021-22 season
Chalupa, 22, signed with Chicago with hopes of making the NHL roster. Unlike Suter, Chalupa hasn’t seen any NHL ice time this year. He has scored four goals in 19 games with the IceHogs this season and might ask the organization for a change in scenery. He isn’t likely to be the big name in a deal, but with one year left on his contract after the 2021 season, a team might take a chance on a free agent who has some interest around the league last year.
waiting for Jeremy Morin to make a 3rd tour with the hawks.
Hopefully Janmark and Soderberg are moved for picks before tdl. Never thought about Chalupa, kinda got lost in the shuffle this year, struggled in camp and never found regular spot on Rfd. lineup. Hard to know what their plans are for Delia and Subban too, for next year
A bit off topic but speaking about lost in the shuffle it seems like Regula is no longer a key prospect. It’s too bad since he was a right handed d-man with good size but he’s not playing in Rockford where a couple of 19 year olds are getting ice time so the writing seems to be on the wall.
Would prefer they keep Strome until they find out if Toews and Borgstrom are going to be viable centres next year
Carl Söderberg is a steal at 1 mil. Hawks should try to keep him. Strome should go and must go. The buddy system doesn’t not mean a thing in the NHL. He won’t bring much in return, he’s wayyyyy over rated big time and GM’s around the league know it, we might be stuck with him. Janmark is a Mini-Hossa I would love for him to stay.
Hawks don’t have any trade bait IMO the only guy who could bring something significant in return is Kevin Lankinen! Sadly we have no back up, all we got is a picnic table, some plywood and a guy named Subban. ( obviously Hawks wont trade Lankinen )
Janmark is golden, Pred’s will pick him up or maybe Florida . . . All that movement between Hawks and Florida lately could have been a positioning to get Janmark?
Nice to see if Hawks can turn in up this weekend, sort of get on a 3 or 4 game win streak to get back in it. Hold tight?
The entire NHL is average at best, parody comes to mind. Hawks not far from being a playoff team BUT as we know the difference between making the playoffs and being a Cup Contender is a little wider. Hawks 2 players from Playoffs but maybe 3 or 4 players away from getting back to serious cup contention. Two-way Defense men number 1 and number 2 big center who can win at the dot and get to the net and have a net front presence and score maybe 30 goals and fill up the middle of the ice. A lot to ask.
Go Hawks
@MS..Regula was just moved to the taxi squad a day or two ago..kind of a tough year to evaluate AHL prospects since they keep getting bounced back and forth between the Hogs and the taxi squad..Regula’s played 11 games for the Hogs and he’s certainly one of their main defensive prospects for the future..
Not sure who gets traded..right now, the expansion draft from the Hawks standpoint becomes interesting..by adding Connolly and Borgstrom, it means the Hawks have to leave two forwards unprotected in order to protect them..for instance, before this trade, I assumed that the Hawks would protect Toews, Kane, Cat, Strome, Kampf, Hagel and Nylander..now, which two forwards aren’t protected to make room for Connolly and Borgstrom? Kampf and Nylander? Seems like an odd move by the Hawks unless they already are prepared to offer a pick to Seattle to draft DeHaan, so for the Hawks, there already know who they’re losing.
As for the trade deadline, it’s tough to predict whether Strome is moved.. he’s on a very nice contract for next year at $3mil but that may be one reason why there is value in a trade..and maybe that’s why he would be enticing to a team who is thin down the middle..I vacillate because I see upside to Strome if he could improve his game away from the puck..it would just depend on what comes back in return..
I keep looking at Vancouver and thinking there is a trade there..but would the Canucks give up Podkolzin or Hoglander to move Eriksson’s contract? If the Hawks took the last year of Eriksson’s contract and Beagle’s contract, would that be enough for Podkolzin or Hoglander? I think so. Vancouver is going to have a hard time even rostering a team next year unless they move some salary..maybe Bowman can grab a high end prospect from them?
slayer
do the hawks have to protect connolly? if not why would they?
knuckle
mini-hossa janmark is a team worst -17. next worst is rookie kurashev at-10. no goals, 1 assist, -5 in last ten games. my guess is his trade value is dropping through the floor.
Connolly will be exposed in expansion draft if not protected but I can’t see the Hawks protecting him – maybe I’m wrong and Connolly plays great but he was on waivers not that long ago so it just doesn’t seem like a part of the long term future in CHI
Plus assuming he goes unprotected I don’t see Seattle selecting an underperforming veteran unless of course he has a crazy good final 15 games
I expect Toews Kane DCat Strome Nylander Borgstrom and Hagel to be the forwards protected- Kampf would be exposed – maybe Stan works something out so that Seattle doesn’t select him
The good news having more draft picks in this upcoming draft helps due to limited scouting. For instance a 4th rounder could amount to a similar player as a late 2nd rounder just because the Hawks scouts had more viewings and intel.
The bad news is, GMs on contending teams are no longer likely to give away draft picks. The Devils got a late 1st rounder for Palmieri.
The Leafs paid a 7th rounder for cap space in a deal with Columbus.
To me this means that on Monday at the deadline, Soderberg might get us a 4th or 5th rounder.
Janmark might reap a 3rd rounder in 2022.
I just don’t expect teams to be throwing around 2nd rounders like in the past. This year they are the equivalent of late first rounders.
@wrap and @hawks29..no, the Hawks don’t have to protect Connolly and yes, my hope is that the Hawks don’t protect Connolly since I would rather protect a younger player-but the way Bowman was talking yesterday, he sounded like he was expecting him to be on their roster next year and add some additional scoring punch in a top nine role..I’m not as enamored with Connolly as others are and even if he is on this roster next year, I can see him being more of a 13th forward pretty quickly..reminds me of Perlini..loves to shot the puck..doesn’t even attempt to play defense when the puck isn’t on his stick.. we’ll see how he looks the rest of the season..maybe that will sway Bowman with regards to who gets protected in the expansion draft..but I’m not expecting much at all out of Connolly this year or next..
@craig..yes, I would hope that if Bowman makes any other trades, he explores trades for prospects over picks..by all accounts, it isn’t a great draft year(coupled with the lack of scouting for the draft class), and I’d rather have a prospect that has already shown some success overseas or in the ahl..no need to take a 4th or 5th rounder if you can maybe get a player that has some sort of successful track record, whether it was in the ahl, college, etc..I would be looking at a team’s prospect depth instead of the picks they have this year or next..
To:
Noonan96, Steve, and Chuckie83:
Appreciate your replies to my questions and initial post.
I get where you are coming from.
Eb,
Still waiting in those facts you said my initial post ignored.
We have gone around this barn before when I asked you for proof of statement, and never got such proof, so I hold no breath on the production of such now.
And surely you guys all see a talented young squad, that can take that next step.
I would be remiss if I do not give credit to the Big Lebowski for getting such players.
As stated in my initial reply to you guys, the Savard squad of 2007-08 was in almost exact same boat as this current squad.
A veteran captain was hired to replace Savard, and presto!
This organization achieved levels of success it had never seen before, and ‘life-long fans’ came out of woodwork.
Not the life long fans that actually study the game, and sat in the empty Stadium in the late 1970s, or the empty UC in the early 2000s, but hey, after dealing with Dollar Bill, we glady took it, right?
So end game point is:
Like Steve said, Colliton has/is taking them from C to B.
His defensive system is not Cup mettle.
History tells us he is not the guy to take them from B to A.
A = Cups.
A young coach with a defensive system tailored to a European league does not win a Stanley Cup.
Even the non lucid fans know that.
(At least one would hope so, anyway.)
Can someone explain to me the obsession Stan Bowman seems to have acquiring 1st Round picks off the scratch & dent rack? Other than Murphy (arguably) and Leddy / Tikhonov (traded away), none come anywhere near living up to their draft status.
Alex Nylander- 2016 (8)
Henrik Borgstrom – 2016 (23)
Dylan Strome – 2015 (3)
John Queenneville – 2104 (30)
Nikita Zadorov – 2013 (16)
Slater Koekkoek – 2012 (10)
Ollie Maatta – 2012 (22)
Malcolm Subban – 2012 (24)
Connor Murphy – 2011 (20)
Calvin de Haan – 2010 (12)
Nick Leddy – 2009 (16)
Vikto Tikhonov – 2008 (28)
To further the point, look at Stan’s 1st Round picks and where they are at now. Reichel, Dach, Beaudin and Boqvist are still TBDs. ALL the others are gone!
Lukas Reichel – 2020 (17)
Kirby Dach – 2019 (3)
Nicolas Beaudin – 2018 (27)
Adam Boqvist – 2018 (8)
Henri Jokiharju – 2017 (29)
No Picks 2015 & 2016
Nick Schmaltz – 2014 (20)
Ryan Hartman – 2013 (30)
Teuvo Taravaninen – 2012 (18)
Mark McNeil – 2011 (18)
Phillip Danault – 2011 (26)
Kevin Hayes – 2010 (24)
So, he trades for 1st Rounders that didn’t live up to expectations and were cast off by other teams.
NOTE: Stan Bowman became GM on July 14, 2009 after the 2009 draft held June 26–27, 2009
WIJG – obviously it matters which 1st round picks you’re talking about and debates can be had over whether a certain 1st rounder was worth the price paid but as a percentage (according to TSN) 80% of first rounders go onto to be NHL players vs 44% of second rounders
I think it’s fair to say that the majority (over 50% at least and probably a fair bit higher than that) of NHL players playing today were first round picks so you chances of getting an NHL player with someone chosen in the 1st round is pretty good
So clearly Bowman isn’t alone in collecting 1st rounders – all NHL GMs do it
Secondly a lot of the 1st rounders on your list were traded away during the years that the Hawks were going for the Cup every year and the future was sacrificed for the present – you can argue that strategy if you want but all teams do it if they’re a Cup contender
Last year TB give up a 1st rounder for Barclay Goodreau
Thirdly just because a player (say Strome or Nylander or Murphy) doesn’t live up to expectations based on their high draft choice either right away or ever doesn’t mean they can’t be useful NHL players – in fact as earlier stated 80% go on to be just that
Besides I don’t think Stan is looking at a players draft position when he acquires them but he does IMO favour skill level and players with a higher skill level are usually chosen in the first round so he often ends up with those players
Hope that helps
Janmark,s value has sunk tremendously in the last month as has Soderberg,s. I don’t know why Soderberg has been a healthy scratch on a team that struggles at the dot and has no net front presence on their powerplay. I know I am going to shock are regular posters but,I would hang on to Strome and move him to Center full time placing him with Hagel and Hinastroza or another very strong skating forward. I would give Barratt every opportunity to win the 4th line or higher Center roll. I would leave Kamph and Nylander exposed though I do not think Nylander would be taken by Seattle. The Hawks have now compiled a few physical Defensemen. I would move both DeHaan and Zadorov. Zadorov is inconsistent,sloppy,and takes dumb penalties and lately he seems to think he is a forward. That would be alright if he could recover and get back on defense. As I have said before,there are not enough type A personalities on this team. Who knows,maybe Hinostroza,Connoly,and Stillman begin to change that but this team needs leadership and I don’t mean the return of Toews. I have taken him out of the equation. In this offseason I hope that Dach takes a huge leap all the way around. I agree with a previous poster in that he has to be stronger on the puck and control the play more often. Stan has lots of work to do here.
WIJG in this case Borgstrom is a pick who came to North America and returned to Europe like Suter and Kubalik. He was scouted by the same scouts who recommended Bowman sign them as well as Panarin and Kahun, unlike the others you mention. I feel pretty confident this guy will turn out to be a very good player.
Just looking at Euopean league lineups today and depth under Blackhawks control at Center. Reichel playing 1C as he has all year in his league. Borgman and Shalunov playing 2C for their teams in Finland and Khl respectively. Saarela playing 3C for his team in Finland. Obviously all won’t impact Nhl roster not likely but still pretty impressive pipeline.
Janmark apparently being held out tonight in Columbus with trade deadline approaching. Hmmm.
Tim – they miss Soderberg’s net presence on the PP IMO but who knows if he’ll even be here after Monday so I’m gonna wait and see what happens there before worrying too much about whether he’s in the line up or not
Craig saying Janmark is sitting because they are expecting a trade.
Soderberg in for Janmark tonight, Lank8nen starting again.
Janmark scratched for tonight.
Janmark precautionary scratched tonight
Soderberg in the lineup
Ian, I agree about Borgstrom. Or, at least hope you’re right.
The point I was trying to make is that a 1st Round pick who isn’t a legitimate top 6 forward or top 4 defenseman is a bust, in my opinion. The higher draft picks should be Allstars. Or, to look at it another way, if the player fails to get paid like a top 6 f / or top 4 D after the ELC expires, is a bust.
So, this should be a huge red flag. Because of the reason(s) why.
I don’t buy into the argument that they just need a change of scenery because it almost never works out. I believe it is what is between their ears that determines whether they live up to their potential as a 1st Rounder.
The ones that are a bust seem to lack competitiveness, work ethic, toughness, and/or an ability to learn. Alex Nylander is a good example, in my opinion, of player that just simply doesn’t have any fight in him.
There is another intangible, an ability to finish / score. DeBrincat has that intrinsic ability to score AND -this is the important part – has shown toughness, work ethic, competitiveness and is coachable.
So, even though you can get a former 1st Rounder on the cheap. You are getting damaged goods, in my opinion. Bowman strikes me as the guy who buys a fake Rolex at the flea market and thinks he got a steal.
The only reason I am saying this is because I am really tired of people thinking Nylander or Strome are going to amount to anything. That Bowman has outsmarted everyone. That Colliton can perform miracles.
WIJG agree without the desire to succeed, all the skill in the world means nothing. Sometimes it is immaturity on their part, the teenage thing and a change can bring that for them. Other times your right it’s the trying to run from themselves issue that’s won’t change until they do, exactly how I feel about Nylander but hope i’m wrong. Strome not sure he can’t be a decent player, just think in his case his all around ability as a 3rd overall pick was overated from draft day. Shoulda been a lower pick to me, everybody said Debrincats linemates in juniors made him look better than he was, well think maybe it was him that made teammates like Strome and Raddysh look like higher quality picks in hindsight. Agree blending skill with tangibles in acquiring former firsts should be a big part of the decision.
Wrap,my thoughts on Soderberg were to play him to showcase him and as you are doing that you can certainly use his upside with faceoffs and net front presence. I see that he is back in tonight for Janmark.
The real question with former 1st rounders is not are they meeting expectations based on how high they were drafted but are they living up to their current contract
Galchenyuk in TOR is a former #3 overall and while he’s not performing at level you’d expect of a #3 overall he is good value for $1 million/year playing with Tavares and the other Nylander
I’m not sure what the future holds in CHI for either Nylander or Strome nor am I advocating that they stay in CHI but currently they are performing to the level of their contracts at least they will be once Nylander signs his new deal probably in the 1 – 1.5 million range
Dan Cleary is another high CHI pick who comes to mind – never really lived up to his high draft position (#13 overall) but was a useful player of some really good teams in DET later in his career winning a Cup there in 2008
Lots of people had written him off because of his high draft position before he landed in DET
Ian you should be the hawks next GM.
Is the Toews and Kane Stanley Cup window still open?
Personally, I do not care if Toews comes back, this team needs to move on and he can retire.
As for this year, since Dach has come back and lines have been shuffled, Hagel and his production has disappeared, same with Kurashev, and Suter…. terrible line combos and our D is non existent. Hawks will more than likely finish 6th in this division.
Im a broken record. You can want to trade whoever you want but ultimately someone has to want to trade for whatever assett you have. Im sorry but i dont believe in market value especially, especially when it comes to things like trades. Arbitration on signing rfa is totally different story and kinda ridiculous in my opinion. Draft picks get worse and worse the better the team does. Its not like gas where there is legalities on price gouging. As the owner of the assett you decide what the asking price is…now the asking price you get is the asking price you get. If you want to call that mafket value then fine. Thinking someone is worth a “a third round pick” is just that a thought. Having negotiated contracts people would use the phrase “market value ” as a bargaining tool all the time. My reply was most always the same, “we will do the work for this cost with these conditions in these circumstances.” If the market value really is such and didnt want my work then they wouldn’t be talking to me at all. Point being no reason to work on landing a trade in Blackhawks favor while helping another team out. If i were stan i would even lowball an outgoing assett with conditional picks on the backend…make it to the stanley cup final with this player…that low cost sixth round pick just became a first. Better gamble than getting a third round pick straight away. Thats how i would fo things anyway. I would set up all kinds of conditinal trades..why not?
With the remaining cap space stan needs to work his way into the middle of a multi team trade helping other teams work out a deal. Who isnt so much up to the fans or even stan, ultimately another team has to want said assett. Chalupa is a good example of a low risk assett to whomever takes him and opens up a roster spot if needed….again the best move for stan here is to middle his way into a multi team trade eating a cap hit(s) with a sweetener. Some teams are looking only to lose a little cap space it doesnt need to be a huge contract or a long term contract. Heck the Blackhawks could and should explore moving along a third round pick as example to get the other team to change that third round pick to a first.
the taxi squad ….is the squade practicing in the adjacent rink during games with some kind of coach or are they training at least in this idle time? If not what a waste.
MS ive long advocated boqvist go to rickford to work in chemistry with regular and whowver else. A couple weeks in Rockford wouldnt destroy his long term growth, just my opinion. Not to mention give sone other rookies some rink time…course i dont know the logistics of such impacting future contracts of other rookies so i could be way off here.
Pertaining to this article personally i like strome but ive accepted the fact he will never be a fast skater. The expiring contracts are an easy choice. In the few bits of game ive seen ive really liked soderberg but again havent seen much, maybe just my luck of when i happen to watch. Havent analyzed the stats but my understanding is strome is far better on faceoffa on one side of the rink versus the other and depending on strength if handedness of opponent, some of this has to do with coach matching things up. Focus on strengths? Build weakness? Time flies its a short season…little irrtated Lankinen got net so early. Would like to see more subban…and again if delia is so bad….well ….idk what to say goalies make and break teams. Glad Lehner wasnt overpaid for all due respect.
David Savard and Brandon Montour both traded today. You wonder if deHaan becomes a consolation prize come Monday, if the Hawks were to pick up part of next years salary.
Stape absolutely the Toews-Kane window still open.
Craig – Looking at that Savard trade TB basically gave up a 1st for him so maybe CDH can get a 2nd? That’s hoping for a lot but Savard is no all star and DeHaan has another year left on his contract after this one before UFA
One can dream…
DET gets a 4th for taking on 1.025 in cap hit
So if Stan does something similar with a team like TOR and takes on more $ then CHI could expect to receive a higher than 4.th pick
I turn on the game soderberg immediately scores…..
Just an observation but TB traded a #1 a #3 and a #4 for a 30yr old 1 goal and 6 assist minus 19 defenseman.
Has to be greater value in Soderberg Janmark and deHaan. Oops maybe not deHaan anymore. Probably gonna need Seattle for deHaan.
We can also be the broker like Detroit for a fee.
Yes yes. These guys can play to 40 when healthy. 88 maybe 43 since his style of play isnt the hard yrs style.
IAN
April 10, 2021 at 4:49 pm
Stape absolutely the Toews-Kane window still open.
This.
Is a good idea right here.
TIM W.
April 10, 2021 at 9:06 am
Janmark,s value has sunk tremendously in the last month as has Soderberg,s. I don’t know why Soderberg has been a healthy scratch on a team that struggles at the dot and has no net front presence on their powerplay. I know I am going to shock are regular posters but,I would hang on to Strome and move him to Center full time placing him with Hagel and Hinastroza or another very strong skating forward. I would give Barratt every opportunity to win the 4th line or higher Center roll. I would leave Kamph and Nylander exposed though I do not think Nylander would be taken by Seattle. The Hawks have now compiled a few physical Defensemen. I would move both DeHaan and Zadorov. Zadorov is inconsistent,sloppy,and takes dumb penalties and lately he seems to think he is a forward. That would be alright if he could recover and get back on defense. As I have said before,there are not enough type A personalities on this team. Who knows,maybe Hinostroza,Connoly,and Stillman begin to change that but this team needs leadership and I don’t mean the return of Toews. I have taken him out of the equation. In this offseason I hope that Dach takes a huge leap all the way around. I agree with a previous poster in that he has to be stronger on the puck and control the play more often. Stan has lots of work to do here.