Should The Chicago Blackhawks Trade Colin Blackwell At The NHL Trade Deadline?

Blackwell also fits that description when it comes to having a player who can help head coach Luke Richardson establish the locker room culture.

The man plays hard, especially in the five-on-five game. His CF-relative percentage in five-on-five is 5.9. His advanced numbers in helping out the defense are good.

Sure the Hawks could go the cheap route with say Landon Slaggert once he signs his entry-level deal. Slaggert's ceiling could see him on the top line. Also, it would be nice to give him some time in Rockford to get acclimated to the pro game.

It is not like Davidson does not have a history of not trading a player for the sake of getting something back. He did not Andreas Athanasiou before the deadline last year because the offers were not great.

Davidson turned around and brought Athanasiou on a one-year deal. He can do the same thing for Blackwell.

The way Blackwell plays hard every night while doing all the little things well and serving as a bridge player on the bottom lines is a reason Davidson should entertain extending him instead of trading him.

It is not like the Hawks are in a salary cap crunch. Extending Blackwell can help get them to the salary cap floor.

On the flip side, at some point he will be taking up ice time for a younger, cheaper player who will actually be a part of the next good Blackhawks team.

The case for keeping and moving on from Blackwell are both compelling.