The Chicago Blackhawks may feel pressure this offseason that they hadn’t quite felt before. Since embarking on their rebuild, the organization hasn’t needed to add pieces to bolster the club.
But this season might be just a tad different. The issue lies with the way other rebuilds have been going elsewhere. For instance, the San Jose Sharks have taken a step that the Blackhawks could have taken this season.
Instead, the Blackhawks regressed to the bottom of the NHL standings after a strong start to the season.
That’s why this year, the pressure could be on from fans to do more in the offseason. That pressure could mean adding a solid, young piece to add more punch to the lineup. One such example is the purported trade the Blackhawks had with the Toronto Maple Leafs involving forward Matthew Knies.
That rumor exemplifies the sort of player the Blackhawks could be looking to land this offseason.
The easiest route would be the free-agent market. However, the market isn’t nearly as deep as other years. The lack of big-ticket UFAs could force the Blackhawks to turn to the trade market. If so, the Blackhawks would have to draw from their draft and prospect capital to bring in a major piece this summer.
Chicago Must Avoid Moves for the Sake of It
The worst thing the Blackhawks can do at this point is sign a player for the sake of it. Oftentimes, there’s a certain pressure to make any sort of deal. Fortunately, Chicago is not in that situation.
But there is a growing sense that the organization has to do more to support Bedard and the emerging supporting cast around him. So, it will be interesting to see what newly extended GM Kyle Davidson can come up with during this offseason.
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Blackhawks Have Draft and Prospect Capital to Make Deals Happen
The good news is that the Blackhawks have the draft and prospect capital to make just about anything happen. For instance, this year, Chicago will have a top-four pick. That’s a pretty valuable chip the organization could use to land a major piece.
Similarly, Chicago can spare some prospects to grease the wheels on a significant move. It’s a bit complicated to speculate which prospects could move in a trade. But the general feeling is that the pipeline is robust enough for the Blackhawks to make anything happen.
It will be interesting to see which trade partner could emerge this summer. That is, of course, unless the Blackhawks find someone to their liking in the UFA market. In that event, the organization may preclude the need to give up any major pieces.
After all, Blackhawks fans may feel more at ease if the team chooses to keep its first-round pick this year as opposed to trading it.
Again, the worst thing the club can do is make a move for the sake of it. So, just because there’s an abundant prospect pipeline, it doesn’t mean it’s time to trade crucial pieces away.
Blackhawks Could Feel Pressure to Make a Splash This Summer