Blackhawks have a trade chip that could disrupt the goalie market

The Chicago Blackhawks could be the team that explodes the trade market this season. One of the major storylines this season has been the seemingly stagnant nature of the current trade front. Very few deals have gone down at this point in the year.

Partly, that’s due to just about every major impending UFA re-signing with their current clubs. But beyond that, some teams aren’t giving up on their seasons just yet. For instance, the Vancouver Canucks, Nashville Predators, Calgary Flames, and St. Louis Blues, would-be sellers, are still holding onto their pieces.

Meanwhile, would-be buyers are stuck in a holding pattern because sellers aren’t quite ready to move. But that could change with the Chicago Blackhawks’ potential trade of goalie Laurent Brossoit.

Now, it’s not that the Blackhawks are sellers, it’s that, generally speaking, one move, even seemingly minor, could open the floodgates. Last Saturday night, insider Elliotte Friedman, in his Saturday Headlines, discussed how the Blackhawks have allowed Brossoit’s people to speak with other teams about a potential trade.

As you may know, an injury has prevented Brossoit from playing with the Blackhawks. The club signed him to a two-year deal during the 2024 offseason, but surgery has prevented him from hitting the ice for Chicago.

As Friedman pointed out, there’s no room for Brossoit in Chicago anymore. That situation means the team is willing to part ways with Brossoit now, while the season is still relatively fresh.

Brossoit could be the move that unlocks the market

Part of the chatter has been the bone-dry goalie market. Yes, there has been all sorts of talk regarding Jordan Binnington in St. Louis, Stuart Skinner in Edmonton, or John Gibson in Detroit. But the fact of the matter is that the goalie market has very little supply and exuberant demand.

So, could Brossoit’s availability rekindle the animal spirits in the goalie market? Could some GMs decide to make a move now, while they might still have a chance to salvage their season?

That’s what a Laurent Brossoit trade could unleash. The Blackhawks won’t get a king’s ransom for Brossoit. But that’s not really the point. The point here is that the Blackhawks could get to the forefront of making a splash in the trade market this season.

Although I will say this: Since Brossoit will be a UFA next summer, the Blackhawks might do well to keep him around as insurance. Arvid Soderblom hasn’t exactly looked like a world-beater this season.

So, it might be prudent to see what they’ve got in Brossoit before allowing him to depart. A solid backup goalie could enhance the Blackhawks’ playoff chances this season. While the team may not be quite ready to compete for a playoff spot, the progress is there.

That’s why it might be a little too soon to part with Brossoit. But then again, if other GMs are desperate enough to pay up, why not take advantage of that situation?