5 Players to Consider if Blackhawks Are Leveraging Trade Market for Top-6 Help

The Chicago Blackhawks are looking to improve this offseason, that's no secret. In fact, the Hawks have been tied to potentially available stars in Jake Guentzel and Martin Necas already. Now, it appears the list contains many more names.

Per The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun , Kyle Davidson is working the phones searching for top- and middle-six forward talent. We already know about Necas as a possible trade target, and LeBrun nipped the Valeri Nichuskin idea in the bud with his latest report. With that in mind, who are some of the names that Kyle Davidson may have on his radar?

Top-Six Help

Acquiring top-six talent is usually expensive and not an easy thing to do in the trade market. However, with plenty of draft picks and ample salary cap space to take on contracts teams are looking to offload, Davidson might just be able to pull it off. With the understanding that the Blackhawks want contracts in the two- to three-year range, here are five possibilities.

Jonathan Marchessault, Vegas Golden Knights

Hear me out. Yes, Jonathan Marchessault is an impending unrestricted free agent that the Blackhawks could have for just dollars on July 1. However, in an attempt to get guys in the building, we've seen Kyle Davidson acquire veterans' rights and sign them ahead of time (see Nick Foligno and Corey Perry a year ago) so they don't have to compete with other teams. Could they execute the same strategy with the 33-year-old winger?

Marchessault would be an incredible addition to the Blackhawks' forward group. Coming off a 42-goal, 69-point performance with the Golden Knights this past season, he fits exactly what Davidson is trying to do. Marchessault would likely be willing to take a shorter, more lucrative contract to play in Chicago.

Although he'll be a free agent, moving a late-round draft pick to get Marchessault in the building before free agency would be worth it for the Blackhawks.

Ryan Hartman, Minnesota Wild

Trades in the division are hard, and I'll give credit where it's due for this idea. Barstool Sports' Ryan Brandell (aka Chief) proposed Ryan Hartman as a possibility, and it makes sense. Hartman's new three-year, $4 million AAV deal kicks in on July 1, as does his no-movement clause (NMC). If the Wild need to free up cap space, he's a potential candidate to be on the move.

Although the fit — a big, gritty forward with skill — makes sense, Hartman likely isn't going to be moved after signing his latest deal. Hartman was extended at the beginning of the 2023-24 season and for good reason. The former Blackhawks draft pick put up 65 points in 2021-22 and 45 points last season. He only managed 37 points in 2022-23, but he was limited to 59 games. Over a full season, his numbers would've been comparable to the two bookend seasons.

With that in mind, Hartman would be an ideal addition to the current Blackhawks. Still, it's hard to think Bill Guerin would do business with another team in the division, especially the one that rosters the real Calder Trophy winner for 2023-24.

Brock Nelson, New York Islanders

With the Islanders needing to clear cap space, this feels like a realistic option for both sides. Brok Nelson is one of the few players who can be moved (lots of no-trade clauses) as the Islanders look to create cap space. With the rumors surrounding Oliver Wahlstrom already connecting the Islanders and Hawks, this trade could make a lot of sense.

Additionally, Nelson would provide a scoring touch that the Blackhawks could use. In the last three seasons, Nelson has scored 37, 36, and 34 goals , respectively. The veteran has been a monster when it comes to putting pucks in the net and could be a nice one-year addition for Chicago.

Reilly Smith, Pittsburgh Penguins

This potential trade depends entirely on how the Penguins approach the offseason. The Pens have roughly $13 million to play with and only one notable player to re-sign (Pierre-Olivier Joseph). Joseph should only cost at most $2.5 million AAV over a two- or three-year deal. With that in mind, there's still about $10 million for Pittsburgh to improve.

Looking at last season, Sidney Crosby was the GOAT once again, putting up 94 points in 82 games. However, after trading Jake Guentzel at the deadline, the team lacked additional firepower at forward. Although Evgeni Malkin (67), Erik Karlsson (56), Bryan Rust (56), Michael Bunting (55), and Kris Letang (51) all had more than 50 points, there isn't a lot of depth to compliment Sid. Bunting notched 19 points in 21 games after being acquired from Carolina, showing that he and Rust are quality forwards. That said, Reilly Smith and Richard Rakell were disappointments with 40 and 37 points, respectively.

Smith has one year remaining on his deal at $5 million. If the Penguins choose to clear some extra space in order to improve around Crosby, the Blackhawks could take on the entire salary for little return. It could be the perfect trade for both sides. Smith has a modified-NTC but could easily wave it to play with Connor Bedard for a season.

Sam Bennett, Florida Panthers

A routine 40-point producer since arriving in Florida halfway through the 2020-21 season, Sam Bennett is an intriguing option to consider for the Blackhawks. Considering the Panthers have a chance to go to Alberta and win the Stanley Cup in Game 6, discussing the Panthers is a wild thought. But Sam Reinhart needs a new contract and the Panthers would surely love to keep him in South Florida.

The Panthers will have about $20 million to work with this summer but key players like Reinhart, Brandon Montour, and Anton Lundell need new contracts. Don't forget the other nine free agents the team will either have to re-sign or replace. When you start doing the math, there isn't a ton of room to "run it back" with the same squad. Bennett's $4.425 million for one more season could be the relief the Panthers need.

Don't get it wrong, Bennett has been a huge contributor for Florida. He tallied 41 points (20 goals, 21 assists) in 69 regular-season games and another 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 17 postseason contests. The fiery forward leaving South Beach would be a big loss for the Panthers. However, if they have to decide between Bennett, Carter Verhaeghe, or another mid-level contract, it's fair to assume that Bennett would be the odd man out.

In return, the Blackhawks would get a player who can be that true second-line center behind Bedard. Pairing Bennett's grit and attitude with Luke Richardson's system could also spring the soon-to-be 28-year-old to have an incredible season in Chicago. He'd likely have the opportunity to play with Taylor Hall, Frank Nazar, and others while spending time with Bedard on the power play.

What's On Tap Next?

As of Wednesday, the NHL offseason is beginning to heat up, with three trades completed. It's fair to think that Kyle Davidson might pull the trigger on a deal before the NHL Draft kicks off a week from Friday — June 28. The Blackhawks want to get better in 2024-25, and all five players above could be quality adds for Chicago.

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