Which players could be bought out or traded this offseason on the Chicago Blackhawks?
Regardless of what happens in their upcoming playoff matchup with the Edmonton Oilers, the Chicago Blackhawks could see somewhat of a roster turnover this offseason. There’s already a good chance that Corey Crawford won’t be back next year, given his contract status and what he’d likely cost to retain. Plus, the Blackhawks need to see what they have in Collin Delia as well as Malcolm Subban.
The central core will remain intact outside of a potential Brent Seabrook buyout, but that would mean they value the other options on the roster more than an underwhelming veteran presence. In terms of cap space, the Blackhawks have approximately $17M available, second-most in the league, according to Spotrac.
The Blackhawks should use the offseason to free up even salary cap to make a run at a young, high-profile free agent while letting some of the draft talent transition into starting roles next year. Let’s look at three players who could be traded at season’s end.
Zack Smith – Center
Smith will become an unrestricted free agent after next year, and his best days may be behind him. The longtime Ottawa Senator came over to Chicago in the Artem Anisimov deal last July. Still, after tallying 28 points during the 2018-2019 season, Smith scored just four goals with seven assists for 11 points and a +2 plus-minus rating. He’s far removed from a 20.7 shot percentage in 2015-2016, logging less than ten percent this year. Obviously, his career-low 11:47 average time on ice had something to do with that, but does a $3.3M salary justify keeping him next year?
Olli Maatta – Defenseman
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After tallying a career-high 29 points during the 2017-2018 season, Maatta regressed with the Penguins the following year, totaling just 14 points in 60 games. The Blackhawks acquired him for Dominik Kahun and a 2019 fifth-round draft pick. In 65 games this past season, he scored four goals with 13 assists for 17 points. He’ll still be 26 when next season begins, but is he worth the $4.1M in each of the next two years? Also, keep in mind that beginning next year, Maatta enters the first of two eight-team no-trade clauses, potentially making him more difficult to move.
[embedded content]Brandon Saad – Left Wing
Saad was a stud for the Blackhawks before he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets after the 2014-2015 season. However, similar to Patrick Sharp, Stan Bowman’s Stanley Cup nostalgia got the better of him, re-acquiring him from the Blue Jackets in exchange for Artemi Panarin. That trade will arguably go down as one of the worst in team history, given how good Panarin is and how great he was alongside Patrick Kane.
Saad has underwhelmed in his second stint with Chicago, logging negative plus-minus ratings in his first two years and being limited by an ankle injury this year. Like Smith, Saad will be an unrestricted free agent after next season, so the Blackhawks should trade him to stock up as much draft capital while freeing up further salary cap.
