Blackhawks 2 Truths and a Lie: Let’s Make a Deal–Now–and Much Later?

The Chicago Blackhawks may–or may not—be sellers at the trade deadline. The question remains though what do they want to sell? Is there anything to gain? Should the season just be played out?

A few interesting thoughts, questions, even down-the-road queries as things as the trade deadline is just a day away.

Truth: This Stands To Be A Quieter Deadline Week and Day for the Blackhawks

For obvious reasons. Two seasons ago, the selloff was beginning. Last season, Kyle Davidson and his staff were looking to acquire more with the final few players who held value and could bring back pieces for the future in the way of picks or prospects.

The best bet for the Hawks would be being the third party in deals to add sweeteners where they can. But those sweeteners may not be best used as originally intended–which is often in the way of drafting and developing. Instead, maybe it’s time to pivot a bit on where they go next.

Truth: Large Quantity of Contenders’ Players Weren’t Original Draft Picks

Take the Colorado Avalanche as an example. Just two years removed from a Stanley Cup championship, they have just five players on their roster who are original draft picks of the team. They’re still very much contenders, but it’s been trades and signings that have kept them in the thick of things.

The Detroit Red Wings, who are rounding the corner and trying to get into contention phase, have just five players on their current roster who were drafted with the team. This is of note because their entire operation was stripped to the studs and then hoping that their fortunes in the draft would help expedite. Like Colorado, it took some shrewd trades (Alex DeBrincat, Jake Walman) and signings (J.T. Compher, Patrick Kane) that got them churning.

Some are still in the minors but Detroit doesn’t have the prospect “pop” that see a quick start in the NHL.

So maybe, as the trade deadline hovers and the next offseason that kicks off will start the ascent out of the lowest rung of the rebuild, perhaps it’s not the way that’s always touted in a league where rebuild strategy may be shifting.

Lie: Drafting and Developing Should Be The Main Focus

There’s a hybrid thought here, one that will be examined in another piece. But the NHL Draft, similar to the MLB Draft, needs so much to go right for prospects to make their way to the big club. When the Cap Era started, draft picks were traded without much of a thought, still not grasping just how difficult it would be to keep a window open while staying cap compliant. Then, it turned into protecting those highest picks with conditional options after several teams–selling them without limits–would get burned later by being worse than expected.

But how many of those picks even make it? How many bust? More than ever, trading players at the right time seems more productive than anything else. Look at Jason Dickinson or Petr Mrazek. Not only did the Blackhawks get two players who contributed significantly this season, but they brought draft picks along with them.

Those are the deals that help move rebuilds along. The trickier part now will be finding those pieces and parting with the right assets to get them. Every organization, especially the fans, tend to overvalue their own prospects because there’s the hope factor. There’s also the idea that they’ll all hit because of a good season. Therein lies the challenge. Lukas Reichel is already testing the thinking–a promising rise through the ranks only to hit a wall in 2023-24.

Now, will it work out in the end? It may very well do so. But to think it’ll be just drafting and developing that will get the Blackhawks there is just not enough. It will need to be a bit more–and it’s where Davidson’s tougher test begins.

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