Oily Residue (blackhawks)

blackhawks

Oily Residue

By Theo Fox

Jul 13, 2021 • 12:01 am

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It was surprising then for the trade to go down with an entry-level salary for one season plus a conditional 3rd round pick being sent in exchange for Keith and forward prospect Tim Soderlund. Chicago's net savings in cap space via this swap is around $4.65M.

With the Keith saga in the rearview mirror now, the focus is next on the other drama of whether the Hawks should spend assets to acquire Seth Jones given his younger brother is in the fold plus the assumption that Caleb would be leverage to induce a trade and sign.

According to the Hawks, though, Caleb was on their radar even before Seth made it known he wanted to be traded out of Columbus. Don't let that statement be taken as truth as GM subterfuge is commonplace especially during key transactional periods like the offseason.

There are a few paths that could be taken at this point. One path is the most obvious by pursuing Seth as intently as possible to not only accept a trade to Chicago but also sign a new contract rather than test free agency next summer which he has outwardly expressed.

A second path is a variation of the first by trading for Seth then let him test free agency a year from now with hopes of outbidding all other teams. That's a substantial risk to take given the assets likely required to be given up to the Blue Jackets for his services.

Then there's a variation of the second by acquiring Seth for the 2021-22 season then trade him at the TDL to a contender for new assets but then try to re-sign him next summer. Again, there's significant danger that he could ink a new contract with another team instead.

The final path would be simply to wait until next offseason to sign Seth which necessitates that he doesn't do a trade and sign with the Avalanche or Stars who are reportedly the only teams he would consider doing that with. Are the Hawks willing to wait with blind faith?

The question that comes with this path is based on the expressed goal of the Hawks to land an elite defenseman this offseason. So if it's not Seth, then is it Dougie Hamilton? Another free agent or trade target? Could the Hawks then afford both high-priced blueliners?

Of course, a path could be to just not pursue Seth and shift gears to Hamilton or someone else. The probability of that is low due to Caleb being a Blackhawk now. Although the organization thinks differently, there are many fans who don't want either Seth or Hamilton.

Alternate Captaincy

With Keith heading closer to his son in Western Canada, his vacancy on the Chicago D corps also opens up an opportunity for someone else on the roster to replace him as an alternate captain and serve alongside Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Connor Murphy.

Who are potential candidates to wear the A? Alex DeBrincat is a popular nominee. However, depending on their status with the team for 2021-22, veterans Ryan Carpenter, Brett Connolly, and Calvin de Haan could also get consideration by the coaches.

It's too early in his career for Kirby Dach to wear a letter on his jersey plus his focus needs to be on having a solid bounceback season after a forgettable sophomore year. Dach still has the leadership capacity to one day wear an A or even the C but just not now.

Expansion Draft

By moving on to the Oilers, Keith also creates another spot but this one is on Chicago's protection list for next week's expansion draft. Murphy is a lock to be protected while Riley Stillman is a lead choice but should another defenseman be on that list, too?

Each team can opt to protect 7 forwards, 3 defensemen, and a goalie or 8 skaters and a goalie. If the Hawks elect to go with the latter option, then stick with Murphy but then decide between Stillman or Caleb. Protect the trio if going with the former option.

With either option, the hope would be that one of de Haan or Nikita Zadorov gets drafted by the Kraken then the other one gets traded. However, there's the likelihood that Seattle takes a forward instead leaving the Chicago blueline crowded unless deals occur.

If neither de Haan nor Zadorov are moved, then that leaves only one spot open for a youngster in the starting 6 and this doesn't even count the pursuit of an elite defenseman to replace what has been lost with Keith not only with the trade but in his regression in recent years.

de Haan - Murphy Zadorov - Boqvist Jones - Stillman Kalynuk/Mitchell/Beaudin

Marc-Andre Fleury

A veteran signed to a long-term deal shouldn't be in the cards but the more ideal scenario is to acquire one who is on a one-year contract (or has one year left on a current deal) and able to be flipped to a contender at the TDL for futures like a prospect and/or draft picks.

If this rumor grows legs that the Hawks may be interested in trading for Vegas netminder Marc-Andre Fleury, then Chicago has a chance to gain additional assets such as a top prospect like Peyton Krebs or Cody Glass or a high draft pick even a 1st rounder.

Bringing on Fleury could pay dividends threefold for the Hawks: (1) Fleury is a capable veteran to guide the younger goalies, (2) Krebs, Glass, or a 1st rounder accompanies Fleury in the trade, and (3) more futures are added when Fleury is flipped at the TDL.

Fleury has one year left on his contract at $7M. At age 36, he's still playing strong going 26-10-0, 2.04, and .928 during this past season then 9-4-3, 2.04, and .918 during the playoffs. He has also proven himself to be a genuinely supportive teammate no matter his role.

Lankinen could continue to be the Hawks starter but have a stellar backup in Fleury who can also step up into a platoon if he hits another wall or gets injured. Fleury wouldn't be replacing Lankinen but would instead serve as a mentor to elevate his game.

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Tim Soderlund

Soderlund could still make it to the NHL if he can leverage his teammates during shifts. Regardless, he was bypassed on the IceHogs depth chart this past season by other prospects including Andrei Altybarmakian, Evan Barratt, and D.J. Busdeker.

All three of Altybarmakian, Barratt, and Busdeker are relentless buggers who exhibit the feisty spirit needed to pay the price to win. Altybarmakian in particular is closest to Soderlund in style but is more productive offensively and puts the team first.

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Liam Folkes

It's assumed that the Hawks player development staff had first-hand observations of Folkes when watching 2017 draft pick Barratt play for the Nittany Lions. For now, Folkes is likely nothing more than AHL depth. Playing with a former linemate could coax out more, though.

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Draft Blogs

Due to the Keith trade to end his renowned and accolade-filled era with the Blackhawks, I am postponing the blog covering Rounds 2-7 draft options for Chicago. There are a ton more prospect profiles and scouting reports to review anyway so this buys more time.

Expect that blog to be embedded within the final draft preview blog slated for next Friday which is when the 1st round takes place. Next week will have a series of blogs to preview and review both the expansion draft (July 21) and entry draft (July 23-24).

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See you on the boards!

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