Should the Blackhawks try and acquire Jonathan Huberdeau?

Jonathan Huberdeau has arguably been one of the best players in the NHL this season. He is breaking team records left and right and sits in the top 3 for points competing with none other than Connor McDavid for the lead. His impact with the Panthers is seen on a nightly basis and in the overall standings as they sit atop the Atlantic division, and are fighting with the Colorado Avalanche for the President’s trophy. 

With all of this being said, there is a small group of people contemplating on social media that Huberdeau may not even be close to the best in the league, and some have even gone as far to argue he’s only a top 3 player on his team due to his line taking “weaker” competition. So hypothetically, if the Panthers thought this same way and decided they wanted to move him, the Blackhawks should be all over this. But what would it cost?

What’s his trade value?

Now before I continue, I would like to specifically exclaim that this is just hypothetical and that I don’t expect Huberdeau to be traded. With that being said, if he’s moved he’s going to be extremely costly. The 28 year old only seems to be getting better as time goes on, and is currently in the prime of his career which will only make his value go up. The Blackhawks would likely have to trade 2 first round picks with 3 players who all fall under the categories of Top 6 forward, Top 4 D man, or starting goalie. 

Mock Trade / New Lineup

Chicago Receives: Jonathan Huberdeau 

Florida Receives: 2 First Round Picks, Kirby Dach, Henrik Borgstrom, Jake McCabe

This trade works as far as money goes, and if the Panthers decide to move Huberdeau and he wants to move on as well, then this would be a really solid deal for them. It gives them solid future assets along with three players who would all step into their lineup and make immediate impacts. 

The new lines with Huberdeau could be as follows up front:

Huberdeau - Strome - Kane

Debrincat - Toews - Raddysh

Kurashev - Lafferty - Katchouk

Reichel - R. Johnson - T. Johnson

With only the dream addition of Huberdeau, this would make for a team that everyone in the league is scared to play against. The top 6 would be as dangerous as ever if not more, and if Raddysh continues to produce and earns a top 6 role, this creates the trusted depth that the Blackhawks have been trying to build for multiple seasons. I selected Reichel as the player earning that 4LW position because I feel like the Blackhawks will search internally for answers and with a point per game in 50 games with the Icehogs (AHL) this season, Lukas Reichel could be the answer.