Chicago Blackhawks Roundtable: Crow’s Health And Trade Pieces

2 of 2

With the Chicago Blackhawks struggling to make up ground in the postseason chase, most of the questions surrounding the squad are negative in nature

Can the Chicago Blackhawks qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs? It’s not looking like the chances are great at this moment, but that doesn’t mean things can’t change.

Still, there are plenty of questions to ask in the direction of not making the playoffs. And we have two of them today with our Chicago Blackhawks roundtable. Let’s take a look.

Question 1: Should the Blackhawks allow Corey Crawford to play the rest of the way, and why or why not?

Question 2: If the Blackhawks are trade-deadline sellers, what is their biggest piece and why?

Let’s see what our panel of Blackhawk Up experts had to say.

Kirk Bennett

Question 1: If Corey Crawford is indeed on IR as a result of a concussion (and I don’t believe that has been confirmed), then by all means sit him for the remainder of this season. Crawford’s long-term health must take precedence.

Plenty can be learned from Sidney Crosby, who is probably playing the best hockey of his career years after he made the decision to shut it down for as long as it would take to feel 100 percent ready to return. Crawford needs to do the same.

The Chicago netminder has had several head injuries in his career, and there’s no need to rush him back. Last I heard, oddsmakers had the team’s chances of being around in the postseason at 15 percent. Even if they do squeak into the playoffs, I don’t expect much this time around. There just seems to be too much wrong in the Windy City (which I won’t get into here).

Live Feed class=inline-text id=inline-text-10

Da Windy City

Chicago Blackhawks: Calgary was a tough way to end the trip Da Windy City

Chicago Blackhawks: 1 player to keep an eye on in Calgary Da Windy City

Chicago Blackhawks: Marc-Andre Fleury saves the day in win Da Windy City

Gameday preview: Canucks vs Blackhawks (November 21) The Canuck Way

Canucks: Betting odds and prediction vs. Blackhawks (November 21) The Canuck Way

Question 2: First off, I’d like to say that I haven’t given up hope for this season. I think Chicago is a pretty good mix of youth and experience with the talent to “flip the switch” and go on a winning streak and secure a playoff position. The odds are against them, but there are 30 games left in the regular season. Lots can happen in two months.

As for possible sellers: I would like to shed the salary of Brent Seabrook, but I doubt that happens, hence I reckon the Blackhawks will stand pat. Let the youth develop and the team climb back to once again being the powerhouse franchise that ‘Hawks fans have been accustomed to for the better part of the last decade.

Colin Likas

Question 1: There’s pretty much no reason to bring back Corey Crawford this season unless A) he’s 100 percent healthy and not at risk of immediately relapsing into another injury and B) the team is comfortably in or chasing a wild-card spot.

Those two things go together. It’s not one or the other. If Crow is not at 100 percent, he should not play at any point. And even if he gets back to what he and team doctors deem 100 percent, if the team is still five points behind with a bunch of teams in front 20 games from now, there’s still no point in sending him back on the ice.

Considering Crow is skating lately, however, I’m guessing the Blackhawks are going to get him into game action relatively soon. They obviously believe they can still contend for a playoff spot, and while that’s not wrong, they should not kid themselves. They’re not the eighth-seeded Nashville Predators from last season.

The Blackhawks need to protect both their athlete and their investment. Of course the guy is going to want to get back on the ice as soon as possible, but there are points in time where that just isn’t feasible. This is probably one of them.

Question 2: We’ve heard the thinking behind Michal Kempny and Erik Gustafsson suiting up more of late (though Kempny was scratched in the most-recent game) is because the Blackhawks are trying to shop them at the deadline. And that makes some sense; neither guy projects to fit into the Blackhawks’ long-term plans, based on what we’ve seen recently.

However, I wouldn’t say either guy is the top trade chip for the Blackhawks. They should not be shopping any young guns the likes of Alex DeBrincat or Nick Schmaltz, for starters. This isn’t a one-veteran-fixes-the-team situation. So let’s talk about Artem Anisimov.

Anisimov’s contract wouldn’t be the easiest to slide on to a contending team, but there could be some interest in him if the Blackhawks are willing to retain a bit of salary. What the Blackhawks can get for Anisimov may vary by the trade partner, but I think general manager Stan Bowman would like to rebuild his draft pick stockpile for the future, at the very least.

Anisimov only seems to play well when he’s around Patrick Kane, and having Anisimov as his center is not what’s best for Kane right now. Kane needs playmakers and a guy who can actually win faceoffs by his side. So where does Anisimov fit into the Blackhawks’ future plans? It would appear he doesn’t, so it’s worth seeing what you can get for him.

DALLAS, TX – DECEMBER 21: Corey Crawford /

Tim Martens

Question 1: Unless the Blackhawks go on a crazy run here and rattle off seven or eight straight wins, I think Corey Crawford should be shut down for the year. The ‘Hawks currently sit five points back from the last wild-card spot and would need to jump four different teams in order to make the playoffs.

While five points doesn’t seem like a lot, there are only 30 regular-season games to make up that ground, and every game the team leaves points on the table, they dig that hole they are trying to crawl out of a little deeper.

This is not the first time Crawford has had a head injury that has had him missing significant time. Colin Likas wrote a piece about how Crawford may even have to consider hanging up the skates with all of the head injuries he has had over the years and the long-term damage these injuries could have for him.

More from Analysis

While the Blackhawks may not want to move on from a young player who hasn’t fully developed yet, when watching Hartman night in and night out, it feels like there isn’t much more to the ceiling for him. Where Schmaltz, DeBrincat and Duclair feel like there may be a lot more to their game as they develop, Hartman may never be more than what he is right now. The ‘Hawks may feel the same way, and if so, now would be the best time to get the most value for him.

Steve Yatsushiro

Question 1: The reality is the ‘Hawks’ season is either done, or if they somehow squeak into the playoffs, they will not advance. The ‘Hawks demonstrated in the last two games that they are either not good enough or the will to win is not there. And to this point, the ‘Hawks should sit Corey Crawford for the rest of the season.

Crawford has been their best player along with Patrick Kane for the past three seasons. He should have been the Conn Smythe winner in 2015. Since he is so vital to the team’s success, they must accept their fate this season, shelter him from further injury and get ready to reload for next season.

Of course, if the ‘Hawks miraculously start playing like champions, win the next six games and climb into the second wild card spot (highly doubtful), then they’d have to go all in and activate Crawford.

It would mean that they have finally jelled. But as I already mentioned, losing to Vancouver and Calgary showed that at this point in the season, they are just not good enough. I expect their up-and-down play to continue. Without the crutch of a superior goalie in Crawford, they can evaluate what pieces they want to keep going forward.

Question 2: The ‘Hawks biggest trade pieces are Alex DeBrincat and Nick Schmaltz, as they are young stars with controlled entry level contracts. However, no sane general manager would trade either player unless the return was a young NHL top-three defenseman.

The ‘Hawks have to rebuild, so retaining these young stars is what they need to do. So, the biggest realistic trade piece is Artem Anisimov. He is under contract until 2021 for $4.55M, which is great value for a top-six center with size and skill.

For the past two seasons, he has been a 20-goal scorer with almost-gaudy double-digit shot percentages. He was on pace to repeat this year until missing a bunch of games. This type of production and size is an asset the ‘Hawks should be reluctant to part with, and a contending team this year would also covet his value and give up young assets in return.

Next: Jonathan Toews' Contract Doesn't Equal Production

By the time the current youngsters (such as Henri Jokiharju, Blake Hillman, Chad Krys, Andrei Altybarmakyan, Artur Kayumov, Tim Soderlund) are ready to compete, Anisimov would be well into his decline. So at age 29 and at his peak, trading him now during a rebuild would be the smart thing to do.

Home / Analysis