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The Chicago Blackhawks are going nowhere this year so the question is should they rebuild or reload? Maybe they can do both. Hear me out, the Hawks can fix the roster without a huge asset dump. It will certainly be tricky and not easy for new GM Kyle Davidson to do but it is possible.
To be sure, there are some players who most certainly need to be moved if the Hawks are to improve. I like Dominik Kubalik but he’s a restricted free agent. He could bring back some assets in a trade. So, too, could Caleb Jones. I’m less certain about Philipp Kurashev.
Calvin de Haan and Erik Gustafsson are also unrestricted free agents who could bring back a return.
There are other free agents, both restricted and unrestricted, whose names are coming up in rumors. The most obvious one is goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. The veteran is playing at a high level and a Cup contender could take a flyer on him.
The Hawks would get a boatload of assets in return but he has a 10-team no-trade clause and rumor has it he doesn’t want to be away from his family for a Cup run that could last two months.
Personally, I think the aging goalie should be moved. The Hawks need the assets and he’s unlikely to be the starting netminder for Chicago (if he stays) for more than another year or two.
As a fan, I’d prefer he stay, especially since the Hawks haven’t found a long-term solution in the net since Corey Crawford left but the logical part of my brain suggests moving him. Especially considering that I am about to argue for two key pieces to stay. One can’t have it all.
The Chicago Blackhawks could either rebuild or retool their roster before next year.
That brings us to Brandon Hagel and more importantly Dylan Strome. I’ve heard arguments for trading both. Strome is an RFA but I think the Hawks need to build around them.
They should move Kubalik, Fleury, de Haan, Caleb Jones, and any other player who brings a decent return. Build around Hagel, Strome, Connor Murphy, Alex DeBrincat, Kirby Dach, Seth Jones, and a still-impactful Patrick Kane (we’ll discuss Jonathan Toews in a second).
I get that this approach might run into two cold, hard realities. Obviously, guys like Strome could fetch assets and it will be easier to rebuild with more assets. It would either be in the form of prospects or draft picks than to try to hold on to certain guys and build around them.
