2025 Blackhawks Draft: 3 ideal trade partners for Chicago's 1st round pick

The Chicago Blackhawks enter the 2025 NHL Draft with an enviable position at #3. The club has their choice of an impact player who could potentially be a franchise player.

While the prevailing wisdom is for the Blackhawks to hold on to their selection, an argument can be made for trading the pick and recouping an even larger number of assets.

So, let’s take a look at three ideal trade partners for the Chicago Blackhawks’ first-round selection in the 2025 NHL Draft.

3 ideal trade partners for Chicago Blackhawks 1st round pick in 2025 NHL Draft

Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins are at a crossroads this offseason. They had a terrible season in 2024-25 and will be looking to quickly retool for next season. At the same time, the Bruins will be looking toward the future, potentially landing a franchise player.

Nabbing the #3 pick would do that for the Bruins.

Getting a player like Matthew Schaefer, Michael Misa or James Hagens gives the Bruins a player to build their next, younger core around.

The cost to get that pick could be the Bruins’ seventh-overall pick and a combination of prospects or roster players. Perhaps Fraser Minten could entice the Blackhawks or RFA Morgan Geekie. Prospects like Dalton Bancroft and Riley Duran could also move the needle.

Additionally, a veteran like Pavel Zacha who’s got two more years on his current deal at $4.75 million per season could be a reasonable choice.

Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche are stuck in a salary cap crunch. They’ll be looking to unload contracts to free up cap space to sign pending free agents.

The Avalanche don’t have a first-round pick until 2027, so that pick could be in play. It would take a combination of roster pieces and potential prospects to get a deal done.

Current roster players like Ross Colton or Josh Manson could be the ball rolling. But where the Avalanche could entice the Blackhawks would be by throwing in Martin Necas. Necas will be a UFA next summer and remains a question mark for the Avalanche.

Given his $6.5 million cap hit next season, trading Necas would give the Avalanche some breathing room. This deal gives the Chicago Blackhawks a top-line forward who can ride with Connor Bedard.

However, the Blackhawks must be wary that Necas is willing to sign a contract extension. If the Hawks can’t be certain Necas will sign, they might want to stay away.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins are staring at the inevitable prospect of a roster rebuild. The Pens may try to delay it as long as Sidney Crosby is on the team. Unfortunately for the Penguins, 2025-26 will be Evgeni Malkin’s last season, followed by Crosby’s last season under contract.

So, the Pens may choose to jump the gun and get an early start on their rebuild. And, what better way to kickstart their rebuild than with a player like Misa or Hagens?

The Penguins can get the ball rolling by swapping their 11th pick for the Blackhawks’ 3rd. But it will take a lot more than that to move the needle. A young roster player like Owen Pickering could be enticing. Also, Chase Stillman and Filip Hallander could make for interesting options.

Pittsburgh also has three third-rounds and two fifth-rounds in the 2025 NHL Draft, plus three second-rounders in next year’s draft. So, a substantial package of prospects and picks might be enough to sway the Blackhawks to part with the third-overall selection.