Blackhawks Q&A: NHL Trade Deadline Edition

The NHL trade deadline is less than 24 hours away. Kyle Davidson and the Chicago Blackhawks should take advantage of a seller’s market and have some interesting decisions to make between now and 2 pm on Friday. This was the perfect time to ask questions from you, the loyal readers, and you guys, who came through with a ton of good questions. I couldn’t get to all of them, and many questions were asked multiple times, but here is a good mix covering as many topics as possible. I appreciate all the answers and look forward to doing this again shortly.

A Crowded Goalie Crease

I’ll start with a popular topic this time around: the all-of-a-sudden crowded goaltending situation. Our first question comes from Rob (@RobTheRescueGuy) on X:

As we learned after last night’s loss to the Ottawa Senators, it will be Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom for the rest of the season, leaving Petr Mrazek on the outside looking in. It’s an awful situation for Mrazek, who has been a good soldier since arriving in Chicago, but plans change in the NHL all the time. The Blackhawks are trying to move Mrazek before the deadline, but that won’t be easy. As far as Laurent Brossoit goes, it feels like a buyout is coming in the summer. The other possibility is he gets healthy for training camp, shows he’s back to full strength, and you try to trade him before the start of the regular season. It’s incredible how much the goaltending picture changed during the season.

Sticking with Mrazek, this one comes from Matt Peplinski (@matt4pep20) on X:

A good return for Mrazek is a team taking him off the Blackhawks’ hands. They are literally willing to give him away for free. So, to answer your question, Matt, don’t have expectations for any return. Davidson will likely have to give up a mid-round pick to get a team to take on the deal either now or in the summer. There is no way a contender can take on Mrazek’s contract unless they can use LTIR in the next 24 hours, so his destination is likely a team that needs to reach the cap floor and/or has a buyout slot they want to use.

Potential AHL Trade Bait

Let’s head to BlueSky for this question from shepkelly:

I don’t foresee anyone currently in Rockford getting moved. First off, there aren’t many real prospects left down there. Artyom Levshunov and Kevin Korchinski aren’t going anywhere. The organization likes what Samuel Savoie brings, and he’s endeared himself to his teammates. That leaves Gavin Hayes and Paul Ludwinski, who are still in the early stages of their development and wouldn’t sweeten a deal too much.

Chiefs (@sportsnutStu) on X has another AHL-related question:

Every move has a trickle-down effect on the rest of the organization. One of the most challenging jobs in pro sports has to be the general manager of an ECHL club. You have to be able to come up with live bodies at a moment’s notice. There is no feeder league to draw from, so you need a vast network of coaches and scouts throughout the minor leagues. The Indy Fuel are not really considered in any deal because it’s rare for actual NHL prospects to play there, outside of goaltenders. Sure, you get guys like Louis Crevier, who climb through the ranks to the NHL, but they are rare. IceHogs general manager Mark Bernard is kept in the loop to be ready to find replacements when needed, but it’s all about the NHL roster.

Desire for Young Players Grows

Back to X, where dominic (@biggus_maximus) asked about turning the surplus of picks into players for the present:

The odds are pretty good. Right after the Seth Jones trade, Davidson told Scott Powers of The Athletic that he acquired “more draft capital that we can use on the market.” The Blackhawks have two first-round picks this year and two more in 2026 and could be adding another one in a Ryan Donato trade. Any number of these picks can be packaged to bring in elite NHL players to help Connor Bedard now. Patience is key when developing young talent, but at some point, you need to start winning at the NHL level. Draft picks and prospects are currency until they turn into productive NHL players. It’s time to start spending some of that currency to prove to the fans and the players that you’re committed to competing.

Our next question comes from Aaron Schweitzer (@schwhitecastle) on X:

I prefer the Blackhawks add some NHL-ready prospects, like the New York Rangers did today in the Reilly Smith trade, but it seems like a lost art in recent years. In the summer, you could see more deals involving getting players back instead of draft picks. Acquiring Knight was a great start. It’s time for Davidson to make his Patrick Sharp and Kris Versteeg trades that helped build the dynasty of the 2010s. The Blackhawks need to take a swing at Mikko Rantanen and Mitch Marner if they hit free agency. Even if they sign one of them, make at least one more solid addition to boost the NHL roster. You can’t have Bedard’s third year be another race for the number one overall pick. Nikolaj Ehlers, Sam Bennett, and Brock Boeser should be targets. Davidson will likely look for a right-handed defenseman to add to the mix. Jeff Petry, David Savard, or Cody Ceci could fill the spot in the short term. Signing Aaron Ekblad could be a fun twist to the Jones trade, but he will likely want to play for a team ready to win right away if he doesn’t re-sign with Florida.

Nick Nelson (@NickNelson0530) on X brings up two names who have been rumored to be available:

First, I don’t think Quinton Byfield is available. Nick Kypreos of Sportnet was speculating that if the Los Angeles Kings wanted to make a big splash to get them past the Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights, they would need to move a guy like Byfield to get it done. It wasn’t a declaration that he was available. J.J. Peterka is reportedly available, and Davidson should be inquiring about the price. Nothing should be off the table for him. Any player like this will be expensive. Think multiple picks and at least one top prospect. Right now, there are two guys in the organization I’m not trading: Bedard and Levshunov. Frank Nazar is close to joining that group but is not there yet. Otherwise, everybody else is fair game for the right piece. Davidson has been filling out the NHL roster the last couple of years while restocking the system. It’s now time to start building a team.

Possible Veterans Moved at Trade Deadline

Back to BlueSky for this question from itsdysenterybud:

Lukas Reichel has reported interest, but the Blackhawks don’t want a mid-round pick in return. They would rather have a player in a similar position, whereas “needing a change of scenery.” I’d put the chances at 25% that he gets traded before the deadline. That said, I’d be very surprised if he’s still on the roster come training camp.

Our final question comes from Aidan Conroy (@_AidanConroy) on X:

Davidson will let Alec Martinez decide if he wants to go to a contender, and all signs point to him playing out the season in Chicago. He’s been a positive influence in the locker room, especially on Alex Vlasic, so that is more valuable than any late-round draft pick you’d get for him. There is a good chance Craig Smith will get moved. He’d be a great fit on the fourth line in places like Edmonton, Colorado, Winnipeg, or Washington.