We’re still almost two months away from the NHL trade deadline on March 7, but this year’s window is already shaping up to be one of the busiest ever. The Eastern Conference is completely wide open, with just seven points separating the last-place Sabres from a wild-card spot. That’s great news for sellers like Chicago, as more teams will be looking for anything that will get them over the hump, increasing demand for just a few players.
Additionally, we’re beginning to hear reports that the busiest time for trades across the league could be as early as next month, when teams take a two-week break for the Four Nations Face-Off. With everyone but Teuvo Teravainen (and maybe Connor Bedard if an injury or two happens) getting some time off, the front office will likely be even busier.
In a year where the stove could be hotter than ever before, the Blackhawks are apparently looking to deal two main pieces. According to sources like the Athletic, The Fourth Period and The Daily Faceoff, Taylor Hall and Ryan Donato are the two players most likely to be shipped off before the deadline.
Taylor Hall
“Hall is the likeliest Blackhawks player to appeal to contending teams at the deadline. Although his production has tailed off in the last month, he’s still close to a 20-goal pace. As one NHL executive reminded me, Hall is producing around the same as when he was on a quality Boston Bruins team not too long ago. GMs also won’t forget Hall scored five goals in seven playoff games in 2023. Those things matter to contending teams looking for additions at the deadline. Hall is probably seen as a potential secondary scoring option.”
Scott Powers, the Athletic
Powers went on to say that Chicago could get a second-round or third-round pick for Hall, and could be looking at a second-rounder by retaining some of his $6 million salary. He’s an ideal acquisition for a potential contender, as that team could walk away from him when he hits unrestricted free agency this summer. That allows the Blackhawks to eat plenty of Hall’s salary, considering that they have more than $8 million in current space as it is.
While Hall is a solid asset for the Blackhawks, they’d be silly to not trade him at this point in the season. Chicago will be competing every game, but as the bottom team in the NHL standings, they’d be better served shooting for the first overall pick than the playoffs. It’s a tricky situation for the Blackhawks, and they don’t necessarily need more picks at this point, but they could turn a high-value pick into a package that could net a blue-chip prospect, so getting rid of Hall is a no-brainer.
Ryan Donato
“Of all the Blackhawks veterans, it’s Donato and Jason Dickinson that have lived up to their billing this season. Donato has been a model of consistency in Chicago. He’s been impactful and competitive and someone both coaching staffs in Chicago have relied upon in the midst of a career year. Donato is also relatively inexpensive and could be a quality under-the-radar addition.”
Daily Faceoff
Speaking of no-brainers, Ryan Donato is the easiest sell-high candidate imaginable. As a true bottom-line forward coming into this season, Donato has been one of the biggest surprises on the team, often dragging the Blackhawks’ offense and scoring 11 goals, good for second-best on the team. He’s only making $2 million this year and will hit free agency this summer, so he’ll be getting plenty of looks by other teams in the contending weeks.
Unfortunately, much of Donato’s production came at the start of the season – he’s only scored once since November 29. Will a contending team try to use him anyway? He’s been fun to watch at times in Chicago this season, and there’s a chance he’s played his way into a new short-term contract. However, at age 28, his production isn’t quite consistent enough for him to fit into the Blackhawks’ long-term plans, and he could be of more use by transforming into a third-round or fourth-round pick.
