How the Blackhawks offense will look different post trade deadline

Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson has been busy during this 2026 NHL trade deadline, completing three trades, seeing the likes of Connor Murphy, Jason Dickinson, Colton Dach, and others on the move.

Chicago has gained more draft capital in return, plus the addition of Andrew Mangiapane to the forward core. The Blackhawks' defense will be without Murphy, with a younger group hitting the ice. The offense will also have a much different look post-trade deadline as a result of these deals, with the youth expected to step up in the absence of the vets.

How the Blackhawks offense will be impacted by the trade deadline

With three bottom-six players on the move, Chicago's third and fourth lines will see changes in the rotation. Oliver Moore will be counted on to take on more responsibility as he slots into Dickinson's 3C role. That will bring added penalty-kill responsibilities, as Dickinson was heavily relied upon in that area.

The losses of Dickinson/Foligno will make Ilya Mikheyev even more important, as his defensive acumen will be needed. He was a guy who was rumored to be on the move as well, but it appears he will remain a Blackhawk for at least the remainder of this season. With his contract expiring at the end of the year, we'll see if Chicago will be able to extend the penalty kill specialist.

Landon Slaggert and Sam Lafferty have spent much of the campaign on the bench outside the lineup as healthy scratches. For now, the two should see more ice time as they no longer have to fight with Dach for a slot.

Mangiapane's role is a question mark. It will be interesting to see where the 29-year-old winger fits into the lineup. He is expected to make his Blackhawks debut today vs Vancouver. He should have an opportunity here to get his game back on track after a difficult year in Edmonton.

One has to think a Nick Lardis call-up from Rockford is inevitable with two more forward positions opening up. The 20-year-old has impressed with the IceHogs this season with 17 goals and 31 points in 34 games. He has not looked out of place at the NHL level either, with five goals and seven points in 21 NHL games.

The end-of-season prospects are where this becomes more exciting for the Blackhawks. With roster space available to make way for the next arsenal of future core pieces, there is a flurry of high-potential players who could see time by the end of the 25-26 season.

Anton Frondell is chief among those: the top prospect in the system should be added to this team once his Swedish season concludes in late March/early April. Roman Kantserov is another one to watch as he has been putting up record numbers among under-22 KHL players. The Russian sensation has amassed 33 goals and 28 assists for 61 points in 58 games with Magnitogorsk. Not to mention, Sacha Boisvert will sign once his NCAA season is over.

Overall, this Chicago team will have a vastly different feel at the end of the season than at the beginning of the year, with a much younger team that will more closely resemble the vision Kyle Davidson had in place at the start of this rebuild. Fun times are ahead; it will be fascinating to see the effect on the ice as the Blackhawks will be among the youngest teams in the league.