The NHL trade deadline is fast approaching, and for the Hawks, it’s going to look a lot different than the last few seasons since Kyle Davidson took over as GM. Anyone that could have been used as trade bait this year has either been signed to an extension, dealt with a season-ending injury, or had their contract terminated. However, just because the Hawks don’t have a sexy must-have rental player for playoff teams at the deadline doesn’t mean we shouldn’t expect KD to get in on the action. We have already seen that for the right price, everyone is available (i.e., Brandon Hagel), and if there is a GM who makes an offer that is too good to be true, you know KD will make it happen. However, there are a few pieces on this team that should drive interest and could get the Hawks a few more mid- to late-draft picks.
Tyler Johnson
Johnson is in the last year of his deal and will be leaving Chicago regardless, come July 1st. At a 5-million-dollar cap hit, most playoff teams will not be able to take that on, but with plenty of cap space available, KD will more than likely retain 50% of that, and at 2.5 million, more teams could be interested. While he doesn’t put up big numbers, he has 18 points in 44 games this year. With his playoff experience, he could make a big difference for a contender as a solid depth piece.
Colin Blackwell
Blackwell had a late start to his season as he was dealing with a lower body injury out of camp, but since coming back, he has been a big energy guy. He doesn’t put up big numbers, but out of the five goals he has put up this season, there have been some highlight reel ones. He is in the final year of his deal and carries a cap hit of 1.2 million, so it is a bit of a hefty price tag for the type of player he is, but come playoff time when you need a spark, he can get the job done.
Anthony Beauvillier
Here is an interesting player. Beauvillier is a former first-rounder who is on his third team in his young career. He shows a lot of offensive upside but just can’t seem to get the puck luck going his way. He has looked good playing with Bedard (who doesn't), so the blueprint is there for a successful career; it's just a matter of putting it all together. I think he could be a good pick-up for a contender, and like Tyler Johnson, he is on the last year of his deal with a cap hit of $4.15 million, so if he were to get moved, it would come with salary retained.
Salary Space
The most valuable asset the Hawks have is their cap space. As of now, they have just under $10 million in cap space, so they could easily help a cap-crunched playoff team for the right price. If Hawks fans are hoping for any big returns come deadline time, taking on a bad contract looks to be the team’s only hope.
These are just a few of the pieces I can see moved or used on March 8th. Other players to keep an eye on to be moved include Joey Anderson, Jacob Megna, and maybe even Jarred Tinordi. What I am really interested in seeing is, after the deadline comes and goes, could we see some of our college prospects sign at the end of their season and make the jump to the NHL? I’m looking at you, Frank Nazar and Landon Slaggert. One thing that I do know is that the next picture of this rebuild will start to come more into focus, and we will start to have a better idea of when KD might pull the trigger on making this team relevant once more.
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • 
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