It appears as though the Chicago Blackhawks are going to attempt to be one of the busiest teams ahead of the trade deadline that’s quickly approaching. Not only are there a number of pending UFAs that the team can move to be rentals, there are also some possible trade candidates that  have at least one more year left on their deals.

One of the players that the Blackhawks would do well in moving is Pat Maroon. He has served his purpose on his one-year deal and now it’s time to move on from the 36-year-old veteran for a later round pick. The good thing about trying to move Maroon is that there is reportedly interest in him because of the physical play, experience winning so much, and sneaky productivity.

Maroon is a fourth liner, but in his limited role, can display his good hands, plays hard, and adds that toughness teams need in the lineup. Wherever he gets traded, I don’t think he will be in the lineup every game, but he is a worthy addition for a team looking to make a playoff run as his physicality should be needed in a more physical environment.

Jeff Marek reported that multiple teams are circling on Maroon including the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. For the Lightning, it would be a return to the team he won his last two Stanley Cups with in 2020 and 2021.

Both of these Atlantic Division teams could use an upgrade in the bottom-6. In some regards, Maroon would be an upgrade, but in others, he might lack the same skill or speed as a player currently in either of the lineups.

It is very worth it for the Panthers, Lightning, or another team to throw a fifth round pick or later at Chicago for Maroon as teams like that have to ensure they are fit for a playoff run and can’t worry about those types of picks at this time when they are in their window to win.

Maroon has three goals and 13 points in 49 games this season while registering 82 hits and playing 11:35 per game. The veteran has a cap hit of $1.3 million and is a UFA after the season. A situation might call for the Blackhawks to retain some salary, but Chicago is using two of their three retention spots and could need the last one for a bigger move. We’ll see how things play out closer to the deadline, but Maroon is very likely being moved this season.

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