On the Chicago Blackhawks …
Craig Custance of ESPN: Offseason priorities for the Chicago Blackhawks.
1. Explore trading Brent Seabrook – The Blackhawks blueline could use a facelift, bringing in more youth and speed. Clearing his $6.875 million cap hit could be useful. Seabrook has seven years left on his deal, is 32 years old and has a no-movement clause, so he may be impossible to trade. Brian Campbell and Johnny Oduya are contracts coming off the books.
2. Move Marcus Kruger – Kruger carries a $3 million cap hit through 2018-19 and is not someone they can afford on their fourth line. Tanner Kero is a cheaper option for that role.
3. Replace Scott Darling – He’s a pending unrestricted free agent and they won’t be able to afford him. It won’t be easy to find someone at under $1 million that could match Darling’s .924 save percentage.
Steven Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune: The Blackhawks need to start developing some young, mobile defensemen. Their slower defense was exposed by the Predators in the first round.
Joel Quenneville likes his veteran defensemen, but their blueline needs to change this offseason.
The Blackhawks need to re-sign Michal Kempny. They don’t need to re-sign Johnny Oduya and Brian Campbell.
In an ideal world the Blackhawks would trade defenseman Brent Seabrook, but he has a no-movement clause and nobody would likely take a 32-year old defenseman with seven years left at $6.875 million per.
Nobody is going to trade for the 38-year old Marian Hossa who has four years left at a $5.2 million cap hit.
They are not going to trade their only consistent good player in their series against the Predators – Corey Crawford. He has a no-movement clause anyways.
The Blackhawks could look to move a young forward for a young defenseman.
Can’t see the Blackhawks trading Nick Schmaltz as they could lose Marcus Kruger in the expansion draft.
Ryan Hartman could be an option to be moved.
GM Stan Bowman could try to do a two-for-one or three-for-one deal to get a defenseman.
