Blackhawks' Top Players to Target and Avoid at 2022 NHL Trade Deadline

There is not a lot to love about the Chicago Blackhawks organization in the 2021-22 season.

They are performing much worse than expected after an active offseason and lacking the capital necessary to adequately prepare for the future. With so many attractive pieces but no real hope of a playoff push, it only makes sense that the organization would want to be a seller as the trade deadline approaches.

But a team does not simply give talent away for nothing in return.

For every young star or top-tier goaltender, the team needs to recoup the players and picks that can help them rebuild following what has been another confusing, oftentimes dumbfounding year.

These are a couple of trades that could benefit Chi-Town in its efforts to return to championship form and one scenario to avoid.

Rarely does a great goalie become available at the trade deadline. So much so that it is difficult to imagine exactly what the Blackhawks could get in return for Marc-Andre Fleury.

One team mentioned by Elliotte Friedman on his 32 Thoughts podcast was the Toronto Maple Leafs.

With questions about where Fleury would accept a trade and whether it is a fit for his family, there is no telling whether Fleury would opt to head north. If he did, though, the Blackhawks could set their sights on top prospect Nick Robertson as compensation.

Chicago needs to build for the future, and bringing in an elite prospect is one way to do it.

Robertson is recovering from an ugly leg injury he suffered in October but is still considered one of the best young players still waiting to stick on the Leafs roster. Right now, he plays for Toronto's AHL team, the Marlies. His sample size is small, having played in just eight games in developmental, but he does have an NHL postseason goal on his resume.

An abundance of potential makes him an attractive target for the Blackhawks, but one player would hardly be enough for a goaltender of Fleury's skill and experience. He is a three-time Stanley Cup-winning goalie from his time with the Pittsburgh Penguins and helped lead the Vegas Golden Knights to the dance during his time with the young franchise.

A package that includes Matthew Knies and/or Nick Abruzzese would help soften what Chicago fans would likely consider a blow to the team regardless of The Flower's impending free-agent status.

When he is in the right situation with the right supporting cast, Dylan Strome has proved a red-hot player for Chicago. Positioning him in a line with Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat has benefited both him and the team, as Strome is a scoring machine when in a role with players who complement his talents.

If not, he disappears.

As good as he has been for the Blackhawks of late, including scoring his second hat trick of the season recently, it is abundantly clear he is trade bait. Kane even alluded to it as he propped up his teammate following said three-score outburst.

"He has been great. It's good to have him here. Hopefully, it stays that way," he told Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times after the 8-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks.

A good landing spot for Strome would be the New York Rangers, where brother Ryan has helped fuel the team's Stanley Cup aspirations. That the team is a contender for a title and has a deep prospect pool make it an attractive trade partner.

The Blackhawks need help at the wing, and sending Strome to play with his sibling in return for a young blue-chipper like Kaapo Kakko would make sense. Both players could use changes in scenery, especially the latter, who has underwhelmed to this point and could benefit exponentially from spending time in the AHL. 

Strome alone is unlikely to fetch a top prospect for Chicago, meaning it would have to send some draft capital the Rangers' way. That may not be appealing for a club that is going to be looking to acquire as much young talent as possible as it undergoes a rebuild.

Still, leveraging Strome and a third or fourth-round pick for a consensus top prospect like Kakko or Alexis Lafreniere feels like the right move, as either of those players would conceivably be better than whomever the team would reel in during the draft.

At just 23, Brandon Hagel is a player the Blackhawks should be working to retain rather than dangling as trade bait, especially considering its lack of depth at winger.

His cheap, $1.5 million AAV contract makes him super appealing, and while it makes sense to hold on to a hard worker with great production (36 points in 54 games played), there are trade packages that may make it necessary to let him go.

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reported that the Blackhawks want at least a first-round pick and a top prospect in exchange for Hagel, and rightfully so.

The team must avoid accepting anything that does not meet its demands.

Seravalli reported that the Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers and the Maple Leafs have all had conversations with the team regarding potentially acquiring Hagel. The Canadian teams have apparently moved on.

The Panthers are in the midst of a regular season for the ages and have young prospects they could use to sweeten trade offers. However, they lack a 2022 first-rounder. In that scenario, it would be up to the Blackhawks to decide whether they wanted to accept Florida's 2023 first-round pick or find another trade partner.

Left wing Grigori Denisenko would be a natural addition to a team that would need to replace Hagel. 

Regardless of who the team could acquire as part of the exchange for Hagel, it must avoid doing so without a first-round draft pick attached. Otherwise, the only opportunity Chicago has at a first round-pick following July's trade for Seth Jones is a miracle lottery win for the first overall pick.