Following the 2025 trade deadline, the Blackhawks will be lucky to win another four games. Seriously, they will be. It wouldn’t surprise me if general manager Kyle Davidson hosted a fire sale that involved moving the likes of Patrick Maroon, Ryan Donato, Seth Jones (though I’d rather see him stay), and other seasoned vets.

Most, if not all of those vets aren’t the real Chicago Blackhawks, so it shouldn’t worry you if and when Davidson found a few trading partners to pawn off those veterans. That would leave the Blackhawks with a barren lineup, but one that would allow them to start calling up players who have a chance to be in town when the team starts winning.

Despite the losses to come, it won’t be as painful to watch as one would expect. Why? Well, with so many up-and-comers, watching them develop as the unit, or many in this unit, who would logistically be in the Windy City a little longer, will give everyone a sense of optimism that better days are finally on the horizon.

Blackhawks will develop while landing awesome odds to win NHL draft lottery

It won’t seem like it at first, but the chemistry this team will build should such a fire sale of veterans occur will go a long way. And if that spells the difference between this team winning another four games following the deadline as opposed to seven with players who won’t be there anyway, so be it.

Does it really matter in the long run? Absolutely not. So why even keep them around if you can build much-needed chemistry earlier with young talent? That’s why it’s going to happen; Kyle Davidson will see a golden opportunity here.

Plus, it would allow this group to go through a good deal of growing pains now as opposed to when October 2025 rolls around. At that point, Hawks fans should just gear up for another long, lost season. But that doesn’t sound like it’s a ton of fun, right?

Struggle now, reap the rewards later with a potential top pick

While the Blackhawks could land a player who will end up with the big club when the 2025-26 season rolls around with one of the first three picks, snagging the top selection gives them more freedom to choose who the absolute best prospect would be for the system.

Someone like Porter Martone, who already boasts NHL size and NHL-caliber traits should grace the top of the Hawks board. At least, that’s the case as I write this now. If he went to the Hawks, they’re getting a prospect who’s 6’3, 207 lbs, with 77 points and 26 goals in 40 games.

Martone or whomever the Hawks would take if they landed the top pick could walk into a building and play for a team that has yet to go through more growing pains. Or, he could walk in and play for a team that’s a little further along because they went through a few more of those pains the previous season.

Kyle Davidson probably knows this, and it’s why you shouldn’t be surprised if and when he trades away a few more seasoned vets than you may have otherwise anticipated near or at the trade deadline.