The Chicago Blackhawks should look to add more young talent to their roster, and they should be all over trading for a disgruntled young forward.
Heavy.com proposed a deal that would see the Blackhawks acquire Yegor Chinakhov from the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Blackhawks acquire:
Blue Jackets acquire:
This would be a one-for-one swap featuring two young former first-round picks who need a change of scenery. Neither has gotten the role they have wanted, and both could be used as a trade chip this year.
The Blackhawks acquire Chinakhov, who requested a trade from the Blue Jackets, as he isn’t happy with his role. The 24-year-old Russian was selected 21st overall in 2020 and is entering the final year of his two-year, $4.2 million deal. Chinakhov dealt with injuries last season and was a healthy scratch when he did return from injury. He finished the year recording 7 goals and 8 assists for 15 points in 30 games.
In return, the Blackhawks would trade Reichel, whose name has also come up in trade talks. Reichel is entering the final year of his two-year, $2.4 million deal with Chicago. He was selected 17th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, as he and Chinakhov haven’t lived up to expectations. Reichel recorded 8 goals and 14 assists for 22 points in 70 games and wasn’t happy with his role.
Blackhawks Have Gotten Trade Calls on Reichel
Reichel was supposed to be part of the Blackhawks’ future, but he hasn’t lived up to the first-round expectations.
The German forward was frustrated with his role, and NHL insider David Pagnotta revealed Chicago is getting trade calls on him.
“Teams have been calling about Reichel and the Blackhawks have been listening. He’s going into the final year of his current contract and will remain controllable after this season. Chicago is looking to package assets for immediate upgrades, so we’ll see if Reichel is part of that,” Pagnotta wrote.
The trade calls come after Reichel vented his frustration with his role at the Blackhawks’ year-end media.
“I didn’t get many minutes, I was fourth line most of the year,” Reichel said in his end-of-year media scrum. “So, it’s different, it’s harder to produce and score. I try to stay positive and make the little things right. Just battle hard and grind. I’m happy about that with how I played.”
Reichel has skated in 169 career games.
Chinakhov Requests Trades From Blue Jackets
Chinakhov requested a trade from the Blue Jackets at the end of the season, and with no deal made, his agent went public with it.
“I had some misunderstandings with the coach during the season. Now I would be glad to have a trade. I would like to move to a different location. Will I return to Russia? As long as I can play in the NHL, I will keep developing here,” Chinakhov’s agent, Shumi Babaev wrote.
Although Chinakhov has requested a trade, Blue Jackets’ general manager Don Waddell says he’s fine not trading him if he can’t get the right deal.
A swap of young disgruntled forwards in Reichel for Chinakhov could make a lot of sense for both the Blackhawks and Blue Jackets.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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