A few weeks ago, it was rumored that the Blackhawks have a trio of untouchable players namely Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Seth Jones. But as many sports fans know, what management says publicly about player personnel being available or unavailable is often subterfuge.
For instance, a year ago former Montreal general manager Marc Bergevin stated that the Canadiens were staying put with their roster as the trade deadline drew near. However, the Habs ended up making 3 transactions at the 2021 TDL including an acquisition of Erik Gustafsson from the Flyers.
So are Kane, Toews, and Jones truly untouchable? The viability of trading Kane and Toews gets discussed ad nauseum. First, they would need to waive their no movement clauses. Even then, the Hawks also have to have a desire to ship them out which seems more and more to not be the case.
For Jones, if there's a time to trade him, now would be the time given his new contract doesn't begin until this summer and he owns a modified NMC. The kickers, of course, are the 10 teams he wouldn't want to go to and his upcoming hefty price tag at $9.5M AAV for 8 years.
What team can afford to take on a contract of that magnitude? Not only that but a team would have to give up assets in order to obtain Jones especially when they -- like the Hawks -- could have had him without giving anything up if they just waited until he hit free agency.
Also, there's no way the Hawks would retain salary for the next 8 years just to get rid of Jones. Or would they? Retaining the maximum 50% ($4.25M per year) may be out of the question but a smaller retention rate could be easier to swallow in order to hit the reset button.
Assuming the Hawks are open to trading Jones, they would need to take salary back whether that is taking on one or more multi-million dollar contracts. Then there's the type of return the Hawks could get in addition to absorbing these contracts as part of the cap structure.
The Hawks shouldn't take on junk just to purge what many are viewing as an albatross contract already. But is Jones able to garner a 1st round pick and/or top prospect? Jones still brings value as a top pair all-around rearguard but what is the trade partner willing to give up?
An ideal trade package would be Jones plus a draft pick or prospect in exchange for at least one sizeable NHL contract as well as a 1st round pick, a top prospect, and either another high draft pick -- likely not another 1st but perhaps a 2nd -- or another NHL-projectable prospect.
A Jones deal out of Chicago so soon is clearly a pipe dream. It would take masterful negotiation to get the job done. Doesn't seem realistic but not impossible. Yet, in order to lose Jones, the Hawks may need to lose the deal, too. Get value back but probably still lose.
Then there’s the assumption the Hawks want to part ways with Jones. There’s no indication of this. Even though Stan Bowman was the general manager who pulled the trigger on the trade and he’s no longer employed by the Blackhawks, that doesn’t mean Jones is available.
Jones -- like Kane and Toews -- could very well be untouchable whether some fans want him to be or not.
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Blackhawks Game Summary
Starting Lineup
Kubalik - Strome - Kane DeBrincat - Dach - Hagel Borgstrom - Slavin - Lafferty Entwistle - Carpenter - Connolly
de Haan - S Jones C Jones - Murphy McCabe - Gustafsson
Fleury Soderblom
Scratches: Kurashev, Toews, Galvas
Abridged Boxscore
1st Goal (1-0): Kane (Dach, McCabe) 2nd Goal (1-1): Scheifele (Schmidt, Heinola) 3rd Goal (2-1): DeBrincat (Dach) 4th Goal (3-1): Hagel (Kane, Fleury) EN
SOG For/Against: 24/32 PP: 0-for-1 PK: 1-for-1 Faceoffs Won: 38%
FINAL: #Blackhawks 3, Jets 1
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) February 15, 2022
Shot attempts: 62-47 WPG
Shots on goal: 32-24 WPG
5-on-5 scoring chances: 24-19 WPG
5-on-5 high danger chances: 10-9 WPG pic.twitter.com/8kdQ6SxQ6M
* Kirby Dach cashed in his second multi-point effort in 3 games with 2 assists after a goal and assist last week versus the Oilers; in the past 5 games he has one tally and 4 helpers.
* Playing an overall solid game at both ends, Dach made a heads up play on the game's opening marker as he drove hard to the net and took a Jets defender with him after dishing to eventual scorer Kane.
* While chances are low that the Hawks re-up with him, Sam Lafferty continues to use his hustle and speed to disrupt the flow of the other team and create scoring opportunities for he and his linemates.
* The top defensive trio of Seth Jones, Connor Murphy, and Jake McCabe need to be more consistent with establishing inside positioning when defending down low as they give the opposition too much space.
* In the final minutes of the game, the fierce battle in the crease by McCabe and Pierre-Luc Dubois is the type of intensity desired out of the Hawks to defend and protect at all costs.
Highlights
Goal by Patrick Kane
roses are red
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 15, 2022
violets are blue
we would like to share
this Kaner goal with you pic.twitter.com/8u2V2r2u9W
CAT MAKES IT 2-1 🗣pic.twitter.com/h5pdudLTHa
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 15, 2022
Roster Updates
Marc-Andre Fleury starts for Blackhawks, again, tonight vs. Jets.
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) February 14, 2022
Connolly in for Kurashev and Gustafsson in for Galvas.
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Trade Rumors
According to @frank_seravalli, teams have offered the Chicago Blackhawks a first-round draft pick and a prospect for winger Brandon Hagel but the Blackhawks don't want to move him.
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) February 14, 2022
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Winter Olympics
Former @goicehogs goalie Matt Tomkins made 26 saves as @HockeyCanada shut out China, 5-0, in Olympic action today.#AHLGrads | #Beijing2022 pic.twitter.com/ezj834DEty
— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) February 13, 2022
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See you on the boards!