The Chicago Blackhawks will play the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night. The Hawks enter the post-Christmas portion of their schedule with the fewest standings points in the NHL and the worst points percentage.
That said, they have not been the worst team in the league lately. That would be the Buffalo Sabres, which just ended a 10-game losing streak and is 1-7-2 in its last 10. Buffalo now only has two more points than the Hawks, and their vibes are way down.
Chicago is supposed to be improved over last year but nobody realistically thought about the playoffs. In Buffalo, however, they were thinking playoffs.
They have the longest drought in the league and they felt like they had what they needed to end it. That hasn’t been the case.
If the Sabres will overreact to this bad stretch and start trading good players away, the Hawks might be able to take advantage.
Of course, everyone would like stars like Rasmus Dahlin or Tage Thompson but Buffalo won’t be moving on from them anytime soon.
What about a guy like Dylan Cozens? He is a good player with a track record of success in the NHL, but it hasn’t led to wins for them.
Buffalo selected Cozens 7th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft. It would be smart for the Blackhawks to consider a player like him if he is available for trade.
What would Chicago have to give up? Well, we know what is off-limits in a deal like this.
There are a few players on the roster (Connor Bedard, Alex Vlasic, etc) that won’t be traded. They also won’t trade their own first-round pick in 2025 as it is likely to be in the top five.
They might be willing to part with a different good piece for a center like that though. One of these three trade packages may get a deal like that done:
To Sabres – 2025 First Round Pick (Toronto), 2025 7th Round Pick (Chicago)
To Blackhawks – Dylan Cozens
The Blackhawks certainly aren’t giving up their own first-round pick but they would consider moving the other one they have from the Toronto Maple Leafs. It’s a valuable asset but not as valuable as a top-ten selection.
The Leafs are one of the best teams in the NHL so the Hawks can bank on that pick being anywhere from 20 to 32. Sending that with a seventh-round pick may be something that Buffalo is interested in to shake things up. With that first, the Sabres would have a chance to add a different high-end prospect to the organization.
To Sabres – 2025 Second Round Pick (Dallas), 2025 Second Round Pick (Chicago), Isaak Phillips
To Blackhawks – Dylan Cozens
The…