Blackhawks fans need this team to be sellers once again at the trade deadline if they want this championship window to open back up sooner rather than later. Trading pieces like Ryan Donato and Company will move this rebuild into the next phase, even if it may be painful to witness for a while.

Still, building the prospects pool, which is looking pretty good at the moment, and creating an excess of both prospects and draft picks will work in the Hawks favor long term. No, not every pick and prospect will be on the big club when they start winning, but that’s when they trade the excess amount away for players who can play.

Not a bad strategy, right? At least that’s the case in theory. But anyway, let’s not talk so much about what the Hawks need to do, and instead look around the Central Division and scope out one move each of the Hawks rivals must make.

Well, the better wording would have been at least one move, since some of what you’ll see below would require multiple trades. Still, you get the point – there’s not a single team in the Central Division that needs to stand idle at the deadline.

Nashville Predators – Admit defeat and host a fire sale

If I were part of the Predators ownership, I would seriously give Barry Trotz an ultimatum: Fix this mess you made or I’m finding someone else to do this job. There’s no way Trotz should be allowed to continue if he hasn’t learned a valuable lesson: Don’t try and buy your way into Stanley Cup contention. Or, at least not until you have a decent team.

While the Preds made the playoffs last season, they can credit a lengthy points streak that got them there. Other than that, this was a mediocre team. So, with Trotz being relatively new to the GM role, hosting a fire sale gives him a chance to start over on a clean slate.

St. Louis Blues – Trade away aging talent

It’s time for the Blues to complete this retool once and for all. We’re currently in Year 3, and the Blues have a new coach and a revamped core of young talent, plus a rejuvenated prospects pool. Still, players like Brayden Schenn, Nick Leddy, and Colton Parayko remain, and none will be around when the Blues re-enter their championship window.

Trade them now while they can still play and keep piling up that younger talent. If there’s any general manager in the league who can make this happen by March 7th, it’s Doug Armstrong. He’s never short on making bold moves, so this would just be another step in the right direction.

Utah Hockey Club – Add to the core

The Utah Hockey Club is in such a strange place. They’re a team that has no chance to make the playoffs as everything currently stands, yet they’re not bad enough to start selling off assets. Best yet, they’re not stuck in that perpetual and often ill-fated state of mediocrity, as they’re an up-and-coming unit.

Therefore, they need to seek out a young player on the trade block. And why not make this one a sensible move with a team like the San Jose Sharks? Mario Ferraro is someone this team could acquire, and one young enough to be in Salt Lake City throughout an entire championship window.

Plus, the Sharks are still rebuilding, so they’ll take plenty of prospects and draft picks. Ferraro isn’t a dynamic points producer, with just 11 points and five goals this season. But he’s a top-four blueliner who adds an intimidation factor, and Utah can use more edge.

Colorado Avalanche – Bring back Mikko Rantanen

No, this isn’t as farfetched as you might think. And there are already so many questions swirling around Rantanen that it shouldn’t be so eye-popping to see him playing in another uniform shortly after his trade to Carolina.

I mean, two points, one goal, and a 4.8 shooting percentage so far in six games with the Canes isn’t a good look. That said, it’d be tough for a team like Carolina to put too much time into trying to extend Rantanen. At the moment, anyway.

So, why not make room to bring Rantanen back to Denver after being the world’s shortest rental in Raleigh? Yeah, this one lacks intuition on so many counts, but strange things happen in the NHL, so don’t be surprised if this speculation transforms into a reality.

Minnesota Wild – Get a top-six scorer

The Minnesota Wild have lost some steam since their hot start back in October but they still look on pace to reach the playoffs. But a team averaging under three goals per game probably won’t get far, so some reinforcement is needed.

If the Wild are going to make a deep run, they need to do this right and add a seasoned veteran, but not an aging one. Brock Boeser is one name that I like, and he’s found the net 18 times this season in 48 contests. If it wasn’t for an injury that kept him out for an extended period earlier this season, that number would likely be even higher.

Dallas Stars – Get a defensive forward

The Dallas Stars must keep compensating for Miro Heiskanen. So naturally, one would think that would involve acquiring a blueliner, right? Well, the Stars already have depth on the blue line, so snagging a sound defensive forward would give this group even more insurance.

I wouldn’t mind seeing them go after Casey Cizikas if the New York Islanders start selling. Cizikas is an older player and one who hasn’t really been mentioned as a trade piece. But still, it’s looking more like the Isles need a change in identity, so moving someone like Cizikas elsewhere would be logical.

Winnipeg Jets – Add a depth scorer

The Winnipeg Jets should be in ‘play to blow teams out’ mode. Winnipeg currently has 202 goals for and 134 against, plus they lead the Central Division. This puts them a head and shoulders above everyone else, allowing the Jets to just enhance their team with depth scoring, preferably with a player who can also bring a physical game.

Someone who comes to mind is Dylan Cozens of the Buffalo Sabres. Cozens seems like he’ll be a 15-20 goal scorer per year type of player, which is a letdown, considering his draft status. But he’s a youngster who can hit and bring an edge when the playoffs roll around.