A Turning Point: Three Veterans To Watch As Blackhawks Approach Trade Deadline
The Blackhawks suddenly find themselves in a tricky spot. After Tuesday’s shootout loss to the Wild, they find themselves six points out of a wild-card spot in the NHL playoffs—still certainly within striking distance, but not exactly expected to compete for a Stanley Cup this season. A handful of their young stars, led by Connor Bedard, have blossomed into bona fide NHLers, but the roster is just too young to have any success if they do get into the playoffs.
Chicago has had a stocked prospect pool for multiple years now, and the lineup isn’t expected to get any less crowded. It already features 11 players age 24 or younger, and the average age is only going down, with players like Anthon Frondell, AJ Spellacy, Gavin Hayes, Nick Lardis, Sam Rinzel, Kevin Korchinski, and Ethan Del Mastro, among others, expected to turn into full-time NHL players within the next year.
But when those skaters graduate to the big show, the Blackhawks will have to make room for them. That process could begin as early as this year’s trade deadline, set for March 6. While the Blackhawks are no longer stockpiling prospects and draft picks, they’ll still be looking to deal a few veterans to contenders in order to make room for their youngsters. Who’s most likely to get shipped off?
Matt Grzelyck
We don’t talk about him much here, but Matt Grzelyck has quietly been one of the most valuable players in Chicago this year due to his $1 million cap hit. Originally brought in on a professional tryout back in September, he made the team and didn’t look back, playing a defensively responsible, mature game. That same $1 million cap hit could make him the most appealing piece of the Blackhawks’ roster for contenders. Any team looking for a veteran defenseman who can lock it down inside his own blue line would be thrilled to snatch one up and only add $1 million to their books.
Connor Murphy
It seems all but certain that the longest-tenured Blackhawk is reaching the end of his time in Chicago. The 32-year-old’s $4.4 million-AAV contract expires this summer. He’s also been great for the Blackhawks this year as a strong RHD, showing his experience and being willing to scrap with anyone who hits the young stars a bit too hard. With only a few months left on his deal, a contender would be well-served to pick him up as a rental for the playoffs. Chicago would likely retain half of his deal, so it’s great news that they didn’t retain any of Laurent Brossoit’s contract when they dealt him earlier this year, leaving two retention spots open (one being used by Seth Jones).
Ilya Mikheyev
Arguably the most intriguing name on the entire trade market, Mikheyev has been irreplaceable for the Blackhawks this year. His speed and forechecking ability jump off the ice every night, and he keeps Chicago in a lot of games. But with the forward’s contract expiring at the end of this season, there’s a chance he believes this is his last chance at a longer deal at age 31. If that’s the case, the Blackhawks won’t be able to resign him this summer, and should look to ship him off for some return instead.
But if Mikheyev is okay with a two-year deal, Chicago will certainly sign up for that until they can reliably replace him. Any longer than that, and he’ll just be taking up space on the roster from guys who can fill similar roles, like Spellacy. Either way, Mikheyev will be an important name to keep an eye on over the next month.