5 Blackhawks Players Who Could Be Moved At The Trade Deadline

2) Pat Maroon

This is a more straightforward one.

I believe that Kyle Davidson brought Maroon here to move him to a contender at the deadline. He has been a really useful player to this team and honestly, I wouldn't be opposed to bringing him back.

However, I believe that the most likely scenario is that Maroon gets moved at the deadline for a future fourth or fifth-round pick.

There are always contenders who are looking for a big and imposing player like Maroon at the deadline, and this year will be no different.

3) Connor Murphy

This one would admittedly be a bit sad. Murphy has been a good soldier for this franchise for many many years, but with so many young defensemen coming up, the writing is on the wall for him.

Murphy simply won't have a place on this blue line after his contract expires in 2026. So the only question is do the Hawks let him play out his contract, and then let him walk, or do they move him to a better team now and help him finally reach the playoffs for the first time in his career?

I would be in favor of moving Murphy if the price is right.

I've always been a defender (haha) of his even when critics were especially vocal. I like his steady and responsible style of play, and it pains me that he has been a stalwart of the Blackhawks at one of the worst eras in their history.

However, now is the right time to move Murphy to a contending team (Edmonton always needs a defenseman... Hello Stan Bowman!) and allow him to finally compete in meaningful games while he still can be a top 4 contributor.

If you move Murphy, it may require salary retention.

Murphy makes $4.1 million this year and next, however, he is shockingly only 31 years old. I think that there will be a big market for him at the deadline this year due to his reputation as a steady and responsible defenseman and the fact that he is putting up some decent production this season (1 goal and 10 assists, for 11 points in 31 games).

The Hawks should be looking to get at least a third-rounder, if not a second-rounder, for Murphy.

4) Craig Smith

This is a similar case to Pat Maroon.

Smith was brought here on a one-year deal with the sole purpose of providing depth and leadership. However, Smith has shocked many by actually being one of the Hawks' most consistent forwards this season.

He has certainly boosted his trade value, although expectations should still be minimal for any large return.

If the Hawks go the route of moving Smith, I would expect that it will be to a team that just needs a bit of playoff depth in their bottom-six.

I would imagine that a return would be something like a fifth or sixth-round pick, similar to the fifth-rounder that the Hawks got from Calgary a few seasons ago when they moved Ryan Carpenter. While a guy like Smith is easy to move, the return will be minimal.

Therefore, it may just make more sense to keep him around and let him play out the season. After all, he has played well and has brought the best out of Lukas Reichel, which is worth a lot more than a late-round pick.