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Chicago Blackhawks Rumor: Niklas Hjalmarsson Could Be Core Player Moved

By Sean Fitzgerald |
Apr 17, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson (4) against the Nashville Predators in game three of the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena. The Predators won in overtime 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 17, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson (4) against the Nashville Predators in game three of the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena. The Predators won in overtime 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

With Pierre Lebrun squashing the Brent Seabrook rumors via Chris Nichols Twitter. I have spent a considerable amount of time on Twitter tweeting to people I trust on hockey and who they believe is the player to be traded.  All signs now point to Niklas Hjalmarsson being the “Core player” that the Blackhawks trade.

Hjalmarsson makes the most sense..

He does make the most sense from a contract standpoint. Is he the player you want to trade? No, but he is the player that most teams would take on because of his contract and talent. He is a top-four pairing defensemen, who plays big minutes and is one of your best Penalty killers. His cap hit is 4.1 million for the next two seasons. For a team like Toronto or Edmonton, that would be a steal for a top defenseman. The team that has been mentioned the most with Hjalmarsson has been Edmonton.

Hjalmarsson is the only player with a Modified no trade clause and not a NMC (No Movement Clause). The Modified No Trade Clause means that Hjalmarsson has to submit a list of 10 teams in which he cannot be traded too.

This gives the Blackhawks more flexibility when trading him. Stan Bowman does not have to convince him to waive his no movement clause. He has 21 teams to get a deal done with.

The Move Hurts The Team

The tweet that started this rumor mill was listed below:

Hjalmarsson checks all the boxes. His trade would hurt the team in the short term. He would provide the Hawks some much needed salary cap space. In two years, the Blackhawks would not be able to afford him anyways.

Bowman Could Turn a Negative Into A Positive

Elliotte Friedman speculated in his 30 thoughts that the Blackhawks could make a splashy trade in the draft.  Bowman could maybe make a splashy trade with the picks acquired via trade from Hjalmarsson. He could move up and get a top tier defensive prospect this year.

Remember the Blackhawks have a ton of picks and could get more from the Hjalmarsson deal.

There will be more to come from the rumor machine. I expect it ramp even more as June 18th approaches.

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