The Stanley Cup Final is over, and now, we move on to many fans' favorite part of the year. The NHL offseason officially begins on July 1st, but the rumors have already begun. The rumor mill is in full swing as the Blackhawks were once again a part of some juicy trade rumors. A familiar face could be making a return to the team in the not so distant future.
Scott Powers of The Athletic was the first to officially report this trade scenario. Also, I recently published an article about Carolina actively pursuing trade partners for Justin Faulk, so there is definitely some truth to this rumor.Report: Blackhawks, Hurricanes discussed Darling, Faulk trade https://t.co/7ntWh0fPqW pic.twitter.com/a9LrP6O99d
— theScore NHL (@theScoreNHL) June 8, 2018
How Would This Trade Work?
As of now, there have been no reports of what the Blackhawks would have to offer in order to make this work. It is pretty much guaranteed at this point that Carolina will request the Blackhawks' 27th overall pick (via Nashville). After that, it is kind of up in the air, so I will tell you what I believe is fair trade value in this deal. Besides the pick, I think the Blackhawks will strongly consider trading Artem Anisimov since he has a cap hit of $4.55 million for the next 3 years and his No Movement Clause is now a modified No Movement Clause.I think the Blackhawks will also try to coax the Hurricanes into taking Hossa's 3 remaining years off of their hands to help the cap space situation. Worth a shot, right? Don't count out Carolina asking for additional prospects, draft picks, or future considerations neither.I'm told a couple of names to keep an eye on for the NHL Trade deadline are Ryan Hartman and Artem Anisimov, though it's much more likely Anisimov gets dealt in the offseason, when his NMC moves from "full" to "limited." After July 1, he can submit a list of 10 approved teams.
— Jay Zawaski (@JayZawaski670) February 21, 2018
Why Would The Blackhawks Want Scott Darling Back?
Scott Darling was loved by basically all Blackhawks' fans and lives here in Lemont, IL. He literally kept the Blackhawks from being eliminated in the 1st Round of the 2015 playoffs, so he is your quintessential hometown hero. He has built up a good amount of street cred around Chicago. Fans would undoubtedly love it if Bowman and Co. could bring Scotty 2 Hotty back home next season. The fact that the Blackhawks are even exploring the possibility of bringing back Scott Darling leads me to believe that the organization is unsure about the Corey Crawford predicament. It sure seems like the Blackhawks do not think they can rely on Crawford to play a full 82 game season. This will be an ongoing storyline to keep an eye out for this summer. Darling had a rough time last season in Carolina as a starter, but it is really hard to have a good season in Carolina though. Here, you can see just how successful Darling was as a Blackhawk.Goal Scor Season Age Tm Lg GP GS W L T/O GA SA SV SV% GAA SO MIN QS QS% RBS GA%- GSAA GPS G A PTS PIM Awards 2014-15 26 CHI NHL 14 13 9 4 0 27 419 392 .936 1.95 1 833 10 .769 0 75 8.76 3.6 0 0 0 0 2015-16 27 CHI NHL 29 24 12 8 4 67 784 717 .915 2.58 1 1560 13 .542 5 100 -0.25 4.6 0 0 0 0 2016-17 28 CHI NHL 32 27 18 5 5 67 877 810 .924 2.38 2 1689 17 .630 1 88 8.90 6.2 0 0 0 0 2017-18 29 CAR NHL 43 40 13 21 7 131 1171 1040 .888 3.18 0 2475 14 .350 7 127 -28.22 3.5 0 0 0 2 3 yrs CHI NHL 75 64 39 17 9 161 2080 1919 .923 2.37 4 4082 40 .625 6 14.4 0 0 0 0 1 yr CAR NHL 43 40 13 21 7 131 1171 1040 .888 3.18 0 2475 14 .350 7 3.5 0 0 0 2 Career NHL 118 104 52 38 16 292 3251 2959 .910 2.67 4 6557 54 .519 13 17.9 0 0 0 2Provided by Hockey-Reference.com: View Original Table The Hurricanes' organization is currently under construction right now with new management taking over. This will definitely create a poor work environment for even the most talented hockey player. Even after last season's struggles, Darling would surely solidify the Blackhawks' goaltending position. Darling does have a bit of a pricey contract though with 3 years remaining and a cap hit of $4.150 million each year. Although, there is still the possibility of Carolina holding onto at least part of Darling's contract, so there is still a great chance that this deal actually happens. Personally, I would be all for it. The Blackhawks would improve two positions with one trade. Let me ask you this. Would you rather have Anton Forsberg out there or Scott Darling? Exactly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Srovamh89c
What Does Justin Faulk Bring to the Table?
The Blackhawks gave up the 8th most goals last season which is an absolute joke and a far cry from where they have been in recent years. The front office should be ashamed of the defensemen they put out there. The Hjalmarsson trade was detrimental to the team's chemistry and to the talent level on defense. That is where Justin Faulk comes in. I had talked more in detail about Faulk in my recent article and explained what he would bring to the table. Faulk would be an instant upgrade on defense for the Blackhawks, and also, bring some much-needed leadership to a team where more and more young players are getting a taste of the NHL. He was a co-captain for the Carolina Hurricanes last season too. Faulk is also known for his Power Play prowess which is something the Blackhawks have not had in a very long time. He lit the lamp 10 times on the Power Play for Carolina in the 2015-16 season. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY79Vc7C2N8 He did not exactly light it up for the Hurricanes last season, but he posted a respectable stat line. Here are his career numbers.Scor Goal Assi Shot Ice Season Age Tm Lg GP G A PTS +/- PIM EV PP SH GW EV PP SH S S% TSA TOI ATOI FOW FOL FO% HIT BLK TK GV Awards 2011-12 19 CAR NHL 66 8 14 22 -16 29 3 5 0 2 7 7 0 101 7.9 220 1508 22:51 0 0 113 85 32 20 Calder-7 2012-13 20 CAR NHL 38 5 10 15 1 15 3 1 1 0 8 2 0 76 6.6 138 912 24:00 0 0 63 47 24 26 2013-14 21 CAR NHL 76 5 27 32 -9 37 3 2 0 1 20 6 1 152 3.3 337 1779 23:25 0 0 94 102 41 47 2014-15 22 CAR NHL 82 15 34 49 -19 30 6 7 2 4 21 13 0 238 6.3 452 2003 24:26 0 0 157 114 70 50 AS-24Norris-22 2015-16 23 CAR NHL 64 16 21 37 -22 27 4 12 0 4 16 5 0 184 8.7 385 1539 24:03 0 1 0.0 109 65 45 42 2016-17 24 CAR NHL 75 17 20 37 -18 32 13 4 0 2 11 9 0 225 7.6 445 1736 23:08 0 0 117 84 53 45 2017-18 25 CAR NHL 76 8 23 31 -26 48 5 3 0 3 7 16 0 211 3.8 421 1692 22:16 0 0 128 90 63 66 Career NHL 477 74 149 223 -109 218 37 34 3 16 90 58 1 1187 6.2 2398 11169 23:25 0 1 0.0 781 587 328 296Provided by Hockey-Reference.com: View Original Table
My Final Outlook On The Trade
As long as Carolina can retain some of Scott Darling's salary, I think this deal has a great chance of actually happening. Depending on what the Carolina Hurricanes ask for in return, this trade would definitely help the Blackhawks out more than most people would care to admit. Let's see if Stan Bowman can prevent the Hurricanes from pulling another fast one on the Blackhawks. Maybe he can return the favor this time around and steal back Teuvo Teravainen in the process. Chicago misses you, buddy.As this summer heats up, so do the trade rumors and rumor mill. Throw on your shades and sunscreen, because it is going to be a hot one this summer for the Blackhawks!The thought of possibly getting Teuvo Teravainen back this offseason has me licking my lips like... #Blackhawks #ChicagoBlackhawks #NHLoffseason pic.twitter.com/aVJ4ZXgvLC
— Tony Gianares (@Certified_TonyG) June 9, 2018
