Chicago Blackhawks Rumors: Kruger, Anisimov On Move; Oshie In

It appears the Chicago Blackhawks are not done making moves today despite already having two blockbuster trades go through this morning

Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman promised change this offseason for a team that suffered a Stanley Cup Playoffs first-round exit for the second consecutive season. He’s already delivered on that, and more may be coming.

The Blackhawks have already moved Niklas Hjalmarsson to Arizona and Aretmi Panarin to Columbus, with the big return coming in the form of former Blackhawk Brandon Saad. But rumors indicate the team could remain busy heading into the 2017 NHL Draft, which starts tonight in Chicago.

Four separate rumors have begun to percolate involving moves the Blackhawks could make. Two of them involve players currently on the team, while two more involve a forward the Blackhawks are reportedly interested in acquiring. Here’s what’s trending:

— Marcus Kruger is likely to be traded by the Blackhawks

— Artem Anisimov could be on the move as well

— The Blackhawks continue to show interest in Montreal’s Alex Galchenyuk

— The Blackhawks are interested in Washington Capitals free agent forward T.J. Oshie

More on Kruger

The Athletic’s Scott Powers tweeted this afternoon that Kruger is expected to be moved by the Blackhawks, according to a league source.

Even with Hjalmarsson and Panarin out, the Blackhawks seem committed to trading their Swedish defensive center. Kruger could be a key piece for the Blackhawks to move during tonight’s draft, as they reportedly were trying to move up to Arizona’s No. 7 pick before the Hjalmarsson trade went through. (That pick ended up going to the New York Rangers in a separate trade.)

Kruger would be difficult to replace simply from a defensive center standpoint. While he was entirely average at faceoffs (that’s still good for this Blackhawks team), his ability to flip the ice with consistently difficult zone starts was an underrated aspect to his game.

Still, it looks like Bowman is going for a pretty sizable overhaul at this point, and potentially having to pay Kruger more than $3 million after his deal expires following the 2018-19 season would not fit into that. Moving Kruger would also get the Blackhawks under the salary cap ahead of any potential long-term injured reserve move involving Marian Hossa.

More on Anisimov and Galchenyuk

The Blackhawks have spoken more openly about moving Kruger, but there’s also been rumors that Anisimov could be on the move as well.

At the same time, the Blackhawks have continued to show interest in Montreal’s Galchenyuk, who is being courted by seemingly half the league. Is there any chance the Blackhawks could involve Anisimov in a trade to acquire Galchenyuk?

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There’s nothing suggesting that will happen just yet, but it’d be an interesting maneuver. Anisimov has been the second-line center the Blackhawks were searching for for some time, but with Bowman in overhaul mode, they may be ready to give up on him already. Anisimov is set to make $4.55 million each of the next four seasons, and while he set a career high in points last season, he’s not getting any younger at age 29.

Meanwhile, Galchenyuk is just 23 years old and a far more dynamic forward than Anisimov. The free agent came in at a cap hit of $2.8 million each of the last two seasons and tallied 44 points in just 61 games last season, not to mention a career-best 56 in 2015-16.

Galchenyuk would go toward the Blackhawks’ apparent goal of getting younger and quicker moving forward. And while he wouldn’t offer quite the cost certainty of today’s deals for Brandon Saad and Connor Murphy, there’s little chance he’ll cost more than Anisimov in the immediate future.

More on Oshie

Now this is an interesting rumor that came out not long after today’s trades. The Blackhawks are reportedly seriously interested in acquiring Oshie, according to Fox Sports Midwest’s Andy Strickland.

Any deal for Oshie would need the Blackhawks to have a lot of other pieces moving. The team is currently $1.445 million over the salary cap for 2017-18 without Hossa being on LTIR. If Kruger gets moved and the Blackhawks anticipate being able to put Hossa on LTIR, then the Oshie discussions can start.

But even then, you’re talking about a guy who made $4.175 million each of the last four seasons. And for someone who put up more than 50 points in each of those four seasons, the cost is going to go up.

If the Blackhawks actually deal Anisimov as well but aren’t in on Galchenyuk, then Oshie could become a serious possibility for the Blackhawks. Personally, Oshie’s shootout silliness related to the 2014 Winter Olympics has turned me off to him. But the Blackhawks would never complain about having someone like Oshie on Kane’s wing.

Next: Reaction To Blackhawks' Two Morning Trades

So what more can the Blackhawks do today? There’s plenty of time left to find out. It may be best to tune into the draft, which kicks off at 6 p.m. from the United Center and can be seen on NBC Sports Network.