Chicago Blackhawks Trade Rumors- Fact Or Fiction

Feb 6, 2015; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp (10) prior to the game against the Winnipeg Jets at MTS Centre. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Blackhawks for the first time since 2011 look like they have some real holes to fill at the trade deadline or their poor play suggests that they need to fix some issues on the roster.  The 6-2 home loss didn’t make things any easier on Stan Bowman with the Blackhawks fanbase on edge that this season which was to end in a Championship is slowly falling apart.

When my kids were younger one of their favorite shows was Mythbusters so let’s take a bite out of their show and look at some trade rumors that I’ve seen on Twitter today and  see if they are Fact, Fiction or Plausible!

1. Patrick Sharp will be traded at the trade deadline

There are reasons this makes sense.  Sharp has been relegated to the bottom 6 and his play has not even come close to approaching his level of play that he displayed at the beginning of last season when he was pushing hard to make the Canadian Olympic team, plus with the Toews/Kane contracts extensions right around the corner his 5 million plus contract getting moved could be all the breathing room Stan Bowman needs.

The reasons it doesn’t make sense is that for one the return will not justify what the Hawks are giving up and secondly, this is an ALL In season so moving Sharp now doesn’t look like the business plan for the 2014-2015 season

Verdict: PLAUSIBLE but leaning towards Fiction

2. Andrew Shaw Gets Moved

This only makes sense because well his play has been unproductive to be nice.  Shaw is a nice player but seems to get too much responsibility from Coach Q because he’s the annoying type of player that Q enjoys having on his roster.  The move doesn’t really make sense on the business end because he doesn’t make that much money. (And oh by the way Cap Geek everyone misses you) Shaw is a nice role player but his value to other teams is minimal.

Verdict: Fiction

3. The Hawks are going after Andrej Sekera or Curtis Glencross

Beat writers say it’s the targets so I guess we believe them, one thing that is for certain though during the Bowman era the names everyone had as a target for the Blackhawks at the trade deadline never ended up wearing a Blackhawks sweater. Instead the names of Johnny Oduya, Michal Handzus, and David Rundblad all became Hawks.  Remember the Hawks never get the Ryan Kesler’s!

Verdict- FACT but closing in on just plausible

4. Antti Raanta is gone

The Scott Darling extension is the reason for this and when his contract becomes one way in season two the Hawks will certainly have to make a decision then, but for now the company line is all three goalies are in the Blackhawks long term plans.

The weird part of the send down was that Raanta was sent down to get some work and the IceHogs don’t play until Friday… Things that make you go HMMM.

Verdict- FACT

5. Bryan Bickell will get be traded

I saw this and laughed today.  The Hawks have no power forwards in their system like Bickell! This is the reason the Hawks over spent on him even though he’s a mediocre at best regular season player.

He’s big and plays like a start in the playoffs when the lights shine the brightest which is what everyone in Blues land wishes their teams players did in late April and May.   Bickell isn’t going anywhere

Verdict- Fiction

6. The Hawks move Corey Crawford

This is about as silly as Bickell and almost on the level of the old Kane for Miller rumor of years gone by.  Crawford is the Hawks #1 goalie and was well on his way to a Vezina Finalist if he hadn’t made that stupid misstep at the concert.  Crawford is a competitor and will be ready come late April.

Verdict- Fiction with a side of COME ON People!!!

There were a couple more but these were the top rumors of the day.  The Blackhawks may have forced Bowman’s hand to shake things up but when you look at it his hands are pretty tied until after this season.

Which rumors do you think are Fact and which ones do you think are fiction?

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