Imagine a team that has won three Stanley Cups in the past six seasons…was forced to trade two of their top players in the off-season because of the salary cap…and is still second in the NHL in most points just outside the All-Star break.
Joel Quenneville has been a huge part in the Blackhawks’ success since coming to Chicago in 2008. Obviously players such as Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Marian Hossa, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, among many, many others throughout the last seven years.
After being *forced* to trade Sharp and Brandon Saad this off-season to the Stars and Blue Jackets, respectively, the team started off a little slow. Winning 12 games in a row just before the All-Star break put them into first place in the Central Division and gave them the second most points in the NHL.
Enter the trade deadline.
I’ll pause here, and say what you’ve been thinking since you saw the title of this and reluctantly clicked to see what the hell I was going to say. Why would this team to make any drastic moves at the deadline, if any at all?
Well, good sir/lady, let me tell you. Nothing drastic needs to occur, but trading for one of the better players in the league on a team that isn’t competing and who’s contract is up after this season makes – more than – sense.
Remember that big defenseman the Blackhawks had from the mid-to-late 2000s? His name is Dustin Byfuglien and he’s a free agent after the 2015-16 season concludes.
The defenseman has been in Atlanta/Winnipeg since 2010-11 season. During that time, the 30-year old Minnesota-native has averaged .68 points per game and .24 goals per game in the near-400 games he has played for the Thrashers/Jets. He also records about 2.5 hits per game the last six seasons, which is more than what he did with the Blackhawks.
He was set to earn $6 million for the season, so the Blackhawks would be on the hook for a little less than $2.5 million, if my math is correct.
Byfuglien would add to the defensive shifts of Keith, Seabrook, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Erik Gustafsson, and Trevor van Riemsdyk…holy *!&@.
Keith and Seabs, Buff and Hammer. Thank you, and goodnight.
The Jets are currently seventh in the division with 47 points, eight behind sixth-place Minnesota. Last season they trade Evander Kane, so wouldn’t it make sense for them to trade a guy like Byfuglien to get rid of a few million dollars and get a draft pick and a low-end prospect for a guy that’s leaving at the end of the season? I think it does.
We all know the importance, toughness, and quality of player Buff brings to the table…we’ve seen it in a Blackhawks uniform. This isn’t advocating to sign him in the off-season because, honestly we probably couldn’t afford it, but for the remaining 28 games of the regular season and the playoffs.
Let’s take a look at another option. Someone cheaper – money-wise and trading away-wise – is Keith Yandle.
The Rangers currently sit in second place with 49 points in the Metropolitan Division. With Washington being in the same division, nobody else will win it. The Islanders sit at 48 points with two less games having been played, while Pittsburgh is two points away with one fewer game played. New Jersey and even Carolina are still in play to make the playoffs.
The Rangers may be reluctant to trade away a cheap defenseman. The Boston-native has 27 points (24 assists) in 50 games, and came into the season set to earn close to $3 million. The Blackhawks would be on the hook for about $1.2 million for the rest of the year.
After posting back to back seasons from 2013-15 with at least -23 +/-, Yandle recorded a +6 in just 21 games with the Rangers a year ago. This season, he currently sits at +6 in averaging over 19 minutes of ice time per game.
Something I like about Yandle is more of his finesse, and I think he would mesh well with the Blackhawks defense quickly. He never has impressed with the hard numbers (except the strike season in which he posted 54 points in 48 games), and his career +/- of -34 is nothing to look past.
I believe as a cheaper option, Yandle could fill in well on the Blackhawks defense for the rest of the season. He won’t wow you like Buff will at points, but adding someone who has a caliber similar to Yandle (and Buff, obviously) gives the team some pedigree heading down the stretch.
There are a few options the Blackhawks could look at, such as adding a low-end center. I think someone Byfuglien or Yandle on defense would really add to what the team already offers on offense and defense. Despite Yandle being the cheaper option, I think I would like to add Buff for a third rounder and a prospect like Dylan Sikura.
Yandle could only cost something around a sixth or seventh round pick, and would save the team approximately $1 million compared to Buff, but when looking at quality, I would really love to see Buff return to the UC in the red and black.
*picture is courtesy of alongtheboards.com
