Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson reportedly making calls, with potential interest in one forward

12 games into the season for the Chicago Blackhawks and trade rumors have already started.

When teams are near the bottom of the standings, trade rumors arising are not uncommon.

But a couple recent reports are making noise.

Davidson has reportedly been making calls

As the Blackhawks were set to face the LA Kings on Oct. 27, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff said on the CHSN pregame show with Pat Boyle that general manager Kyle Davidson could be looking to shake things up.

Seravalli said,

"Well Pat, I've been told that Kyle Davidson is ready to do just that. I think everyone is clear about the expectations for this season that this team needs to take a tangible step forward, and I'm told that Kyle Davidson has been pretty active on that front, inquiring specifically about shoot-first, scoring wingers with size around the NHL. The tough part is, those guys are hard to come by, and so there really hasn't been any traction on that front with calls that Davidson has been making. It's not exactly the time of year that most teams are ready to engage in those talks, but nonetheless, you can mark that pretty high on their priority list as we get closer to the March 1st deadline, and if this slide continues, count on something bigger, perhaps, in the works."

This isn't surprising to hear. Even though the Blackhawks came away with a big 2-1 win against the Kings to break a three-game losing streak, they still have ground to make up, as they sit second to last in the NHL with a 4-8-0 record.

They could build on the momentum from that win. We'll see where it goes.

But the other thing is, Davidson possibly looking at a scoring winger with size makes sense, because there was a lot of buzz last summer, including a report from Emily Kaplan of ESPN that the Blackhawks fourth overall pick for Matthew Knies was in play at the time. Knies is a 24-year-old 6'3" scoring threat.

However, Davidson ended up parting with the fourth overall pick for dynamic defenseman Bowen Byram, and Knies got traded from the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Columbus Blue Jackets in September.

So, the desire to add that type of forward might not have left the Blackhawks.

Who could the Blackhawks look at?

This conversation brings us back to who is available. Our Jacob Tye recently laid out some potential options.

The caveat is, as Seravalli noted, teams aren't always willing to make that kind of big move this early in the season.

But there has been more fuel added to the fire as David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that the Blackhawks have made calls on a forward,

"According to Pagnotta, the Blackhawks have spoken with the Washington Capitals about forward Ivan Miroshnichenko, whom is actively being shopped by the Caps, though a number of other teams, like the Philadelphia Flyers, Calgary Flames and Seattle Kraken, are also believed to have interest."

Miroshnichenko is a 22-year-old left wing who has one point in three games, and is a plus-1. He is also listed at 6'1", 205 pounds.

Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery explained Miroshnichenko's situation, according to Ian Oland of RMNB,

"I thought he did a good job with the three games that he played,” Carbery said. “And so, it’s a little bit of circumstance that he comes out, but I think he’s — I know I speak for the coaches. We like him. We have a deep forward group, and when we get healthy, it sort of pushes him out, which is no fault of his because I felt like, again, he did well in the games that he played."

You might think that with a young player getting pushed out, his trade value wouldn't be enormous. But with the reported interest in the young forward by other teams, and the fact that insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the Capitals are looking for a "legit return" for him, he might require some trade sweeteners.

On paper, someone like Miroshnichenko does make sense for the Blackhawks. He fits everything they would want with his age, size, and offensive ability. He can add more of a scoring punch throughout a lineup that is desperate for offense, as they currently sit second to last in the NHL in goals per game (2.17).

I think it comes down to how aggressive Davidson would want to be. They have 19 draft picks in their next two drafts, although with the rising salary cap, teams do seem to be valuing players more than draft picks.

If Davidson made this kind of move right now, it certainly would signal their desire to improve the team now and beyond. Miroshnichenko has a $925,000 cap hit until 2027-28.

Overall, a trade for a forward seems like maybe more of a "down the road this season" move, than right now.

But if the Blackhawks upcoming two-game road trip and beyond go haywire, it will be interesting to see how Davidson reacts, because that would be a time to start making decisions.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow