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3 Players The Chicago Blackhawks Should Acquire Who Need Change of Scenery

A former No. 2 overall pick would be a nice addition.

By Ethan Gawronski |
New York Rangers
New York Rangers / Tim Nwachukwu/GettyImages
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The NHL Trade Deadline is rapidly approaching and there are some questions regarding whether or not the Chicago Blackhawks will be very active compared to last year.

As of right now, the feeling is that general manager Kyle Davidson will mostly stay put with the roster he has. He has only made one deal so far when he sent Anthony Beauvillier to the Nashville Predators in exchange for a fifth-round pick.

That leaves their main asset going into tomorrow's deadline in Tyler Johnson, who is a pending unrestricted free agent and a proven winner in the NHL. Because after him, the veteran options are not that attractive to contenders especially after the Hawks extended Jason Dickinson, Nick Foligno, and Petr Mrazek

The Blackhawks still have a stockpile of picks in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft with seven draft picks coming during the first three rounds. There is the possibility of Davidson trying to acquire a young player in need of a chance, similar to how Joey Anderson was brought in at last year's deadline and has become a mainstay on the Blackhawks roster this season.

Three young forwards need a change of scenery who could be interesting trade options for the Blackhawks at this year's Trade Deadline...

Kaapo Kakko

Kakko is first on the list mainly because his name has been thrown around a lot lately and many have wondered if the Blackhawks would take a flyer on the Rangers forward.

Kakko was the second-overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft by the Rangers and has not lived up to his sky-high expectations to this point. The left-handed winger has good size at 6'2 205lbs, which the Blackhawks have been lacking with their young forwards.

His play last season looked to be a step in the right direction for Kakko with 18 goals and 40 points, but has followed that up with only 11 points in 41 games this season.

Kakko likely is not going to turn into a star player, but his advanced stats show solid defensive numbers while playing on a competitive Rangers team. His offensive output from last season proves that he can be a contributing two-way winger if put in the right situation.

Acquiring a player like Kakko will be a very low-risk move for the Blackhawks, though it could allow Kakko to find more consistency in his game and have a larger role with much fewer expectations weighing on him.

If the Hawks want to land him, they better act fast as he is rumored to be on his way to Pittsburgh.

Arthur Kaliyev

Kaliyev has always been a highly skilled winger with a natural ability to score goals. Many considered him a first-round talent in the 2019 draft, but ultimately fell to the second round where the Los Angeles Kings selected him 33rd overall. The 6'2 winger tallied 51 goals and 102 points in 67 games with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the OHL during his draft year.

Kaliyev became a full-time NHL player during the 2021-22 season with the Kings, tallying 14 goals and 27 points in 80 games. Last season saw Kaliyev's best points percentage in his career so far, where he totaled 28 points in 56 games, a 41-point pace across a full 82-game schedule. However, following up his quietly productive sophomore season, he only has 6 goals and 14 points in 44 games this season, putting him at a 26-point pace (per 82 games).

This season, Kaliyev has found himself as a healthy scratch much more frequently since Jim Miller took over as the Kings' new Head Coach. His career average ice time is 12:23, putting him at primarily bottom-six minutes with time on the second power-play unit.

A player of Kaliyev's caliber is not going to be able to take that next step offensively while playing in a bottom-six role. However, he's proven to be a decent presence on the power-play with 17 of his 34 career goals coming on the man advantage.

Kaliyev has the tools to become a solid NHL winger due to his size (6'2 210lbs) and natural ability to score. A change of scenery could be in order to send Kaliyev to a team willing to give him a larger role in their lineup. The Blackhawks could be a great fit for the young winger, as a team who can give him the ice time to prove himself with more meaningful minutes. Also, at 22 years-old, Kaliyev could possibly find his way into the Blackhawks future plans if he finds his game.

Oliver Wahlstrom

Once known for a viral video of a shootout goal he scored as a kid, Wahlstrom looked like a home-run selection for the Islanders at the 2018 NHL Draft. After 22 goals and 45 points in 26 games with the US National Under-18 Team in his draft year, the Islanders took the skilled winger with the 11th overall pick.

Wahlstrom is yet another winger on this list who brings size to his game, coming in at 6'2 200lbs. His offensive potential has been apparent ever since being drafted, but he has yet to put it all together at the NHL level. His most productive season in the NHL came as a rookie in the 2020-2021 season, where Wahlstrom totaled 21 points in 44 games, a nearly 40-point (per 82) pace.

However, Wahlstrom has not taken that next step since his rookie year, though he has not had the best luck with injuries. In an injury-riddled 2022-23 season, Oliver Wahlstrom had 16 points in 35 games, which was his best pace per 82 games since his rookie year. However, his production has hit a wall this season with 6 points in 31 games, finding himself as a healthy scratch often. It has been reported recently that the Islanders have made Wahlstrom available ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline.

Wahlstrom's ice time throughout his career has been around 12 minutes a game, but has seen that drop down to 10:53 minutes this season. The Islanders have also not been known to play a high-flying offensive style in recent years, which has not given Wahlstrom the chance to flourish as a potential goal-scorer. This is why a change of scenery could be beneficial for the winger. At 23 years-old, he likely won't become a star player, but could possibly become a middle-six player if given the proper role he needs to succeed.

Acquiring a player like Wahlstrom probably will not cost the Blackhawks that much, which will be a low-risk type of trade. If he can stay healthy, there is still a potential secondary scorer waiting to break-out in a larger role.

Just remember Hawks fans, once upon a time Patrick Sharp was acquired as a young player being given a change of scenery.

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