Trade-deadline primer for the Chicago Blackhawks

If the team does end up trading any of their pending unrestricted or restricted free agents, they will most certainly need to retain salary in any move considering the team is currently only $5.3M above the salary cap floor. With $29M currently on the team’s injured reserve, one of the biggest trade chips Chicago has to offer is their available cap space and roster space.

Outside of Beauvillier and Johnson, the Blackhawks simply do not have that much to offer teams outside of cap space at this year’s deadline. With one sizeable trade already out of the way with Elias Lindholm heading to the Vancouver Canucks, look for Chicago to be a salary broker in any future trade involving a cash-strapped buyer in the future.

Team needs

1) Star next to Bedard: With Bedard already penciled into the Blackhawks’ long-term plans, it is now time to find another player who he can rely on for much of his career. Nearly a month ago, Chicago missed out on budding star Cutter Gauthier, whom the Philadelphia Flyers moved to the Anaheim Ducks. While no other players similar to Gauthier have been brought up in any trade conversation; he is the right kind of player that Chicago should be targeting if any become available at the deadline. Nevertheless, with having the projected number one overall selection for the second year in a row, the Blackhawks could certainly fill this void with Macklin Celebrini in the upcoming draft.

2) Thin out the herd: By design, Chicago has 11 players set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer, while a whopping 14 players will become restricted free agents. Appearing to be somewhat of a crossroads for the franchise, the organization will have to determine which players are worth investing in for the future of the franchise. As things currently stand, Chicago has a roster full of bubble players and more ice time will have to be allocated to players that the team is convinced should be around for the future. Without any chance of competing for this year’s playoffs, the Blackhawks simply have nothing to lose by giving unofficial tryouts to several of these bubble players throughout the last stretch of the season.