The Chicago Blackhawks are looking to take their next steps in their rebuild, and a trade idea has them acquiring a sniper.
Heavy.com proposed a deal that would see the Blackhawks acquire Patrik Laine from the Montreal Canadiens in a one-for-one swap.
Blackhawks acquire:
Canadiens acquire:
The proposed deal would be a one-for-one swap, as the Blackhawks would acquire Laine to bolster their lineup for a young prospect.
Chicago would acquire Laine, who’s in the final year of his four-year, $34.8 million deal. The forward could be a top-six forward for the Blackhawks and add some much-needed offense to the lineup. He recorded 20 goals and 13 assists for 33 points in 52 games last season. Laine would also be on Chicago’s top power play unit and add another weapon to the unit, which struggled last season.
In return, the Blackhawks would trade Hayes, who’s a 21-year-old prospect but isn’t a top-line prospect, so is worth moving. He was selected in the third round of the 2022 NHL Draft by Chicago. In the AHL last season, he skated in 50 games, recording 5 goals and 10 assists for 15 points. Hayes would likely be in the AHL for the Canadiens next season, but could be closing in on playing in the NHL. It’s a good return for one year of Laine, who could be a cap casualty for the Habs.
Blackhawks GM Explains Quiet Offseason
Despite being one of the worst teams in the NHL, the Blackhawks have had a quiet offseason.
Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said that it was on purpose as he wants the younger players to take their next step.
“We’re heading into a new stage where we’re starting to see and we’re leaving open spots in the NHL for some of these young players that we have drafted and have developed to enter the NHL and start making up a larger or large, depending on the point of the year, portion of the roster,” Davidson said…
“We still have a veteran-laden roster, but there’s going to be a much larger contingent of young players that could be here for a very long time, breaking camp with us this year. That’s really exciting,” Davidson added. “I think that’s a display of progress on where we’ve been in the past. It’s a different look for this team and I think it’s an eye to where we’re headed. It’s just an exciting step we’ve taken that we haven’t necessarily been able to reasonably expect prior to this season.”
The Blackhawks have over $22 million in cap space remaining, but Davidson doesn’t expect to use it all.
Insider: Canadiens Would Listen to Trade Calls on Laine
Montreal made a bold move to acquire Laine a year ago from the Columbus Blue Jackets, but it didn’t seem to work out.
In the offseason, Laine’s name has come up in trade talks again, and NHL insider Jim Biringer of NHLTradeRumors believes the Canadiens would listen to trade calls on Laine.
“I think they’d be willing to listen, but it depends on what they would be getting back. Like, you’re going to give up,” Biringer said on TSN Radio in Montreal. “Like, if you look at what the Canadiens have now with Demidov and Laine, they have a one two punch on their power play from both sides, and that’s dangerous, and that’s something that I don’t know if Montreal wants to give up right now, because they’re trying to ascend and be a constant playoff contender. They got in last year.”
Laine was selected second overall in the 2016 NHL Draft.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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