The Blackhawks are already searching for a jolt, and the focus appears to be up front.
Chicago enters Saturday sitting at the bottom of the Central Division, a rough opening that has pushed the conversation toward roster change. In a recent appearance on 102.5 The Game, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggested the move is more likely to come on the ice than behind the bench, which points away from head coach Jeff Blashill being in danger and toward the front office looking for help.
That search lines up with reporting from Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic, who said in a TSN Early Trading segment that the Blackhawks want to add to their forward group.
The need is obvious. Despite the young talent on the roster, Chicago is dead last in goals per game so far this season.
Connor Bedard missed six games, but even with that absence he still leads the team in points. Rookie Roman Kantserov has also made an early impression, posting eight contests in 17 games.
After that, the scoring depth gets shaky. Patrick Kane has eight assists but only one goal.
Anton Frondell and Frank Nazar have both flashed and faded in the opening stretch. Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen each have two goals and four assists, while Ryan Donato has one fewer assist than that.
Those four were supposed to give Chicago a veteran backbone and help the younger players settle in. So far, that plan hasn’t clicked.
The Blackhawks do have the kind of trade assets that could matter. They hold three first-round picks next year, plus extra second-rounders in the next two seasons.
Their prospect pool is also considered one of the deeper ones in the league, even with players like Kantersov and Frondell counted as graduated pieces. If another team is willing to deal a win-now forward for futures, Chicago has the ammunition to make a real run at that kind of player.
But there are real obstacles. Teams are usually hesitant to make those moves this early in the season, which keeps prices high.
And Chicago’s cap situation is tight. Per PuckPedia, the Blackhawks can add a player making a little under $2.4MM, which doesn’t leave much room to maneuver.
They could move Ryan Ellis to LTIR, but that would create the possibility of a large bonus carryover penalty next season.
Several years into the rebuild, Chicago expected to be closer to the playoff picture by now. Instead, it is already ten points back of a postseason spot, a deficit that will not be easy to erase.
If the Blackhawks are going to climb back in, they need more offense, and GM Kyle Davidson will have to try to find it in a trade market that has not fully opened yet. Otherwise, it could be another long year in Chicago.
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