As the Blackhawks’ season has rolled on, it has become blatantly obvious that this team will once again be selling off assets at the trade deadline to acquire younger players or future draft capital. Here are five current Hawks that could very realistically be on the move at this year’s trade deadline.

The Blackhawks should be sellers at the trade deadline. Here are some players they should consider dealing by the deadline.

1) Ryan Donato

We are starting controversially with this one… I know that Ryan Donato has had a wonderful season which has endeared him to many fans in the city. However, two questions must be asked about Donato: First, is this current half-point per game pace sustainable? Second, is Donato a piece that will be here when the Hawks are competitive again?

The answer to question one is likely a no. He has never been a half-point-per-game player before (his best season was 2021-2022 when he put up 31 points in 74 games) and it isn’t likely that he will become that type of player going forward.

As for question two, I could actually argue that Donato is the type of player you use to help you build to the next level of success.

I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to bringing him back, but due to how well he has played this season, there is no doubt he will expect a significant raise.

So, if you are in the camp of wanting to resign Donato (a reasonable wish) you shouldn’t be shocked that he will be asking for somewhere in the neighborhood of $3.5 to $4.5 million annually.

Therefore, I think trading a player at the peak of their value has some wisdom. I mean, I was somewhat interested in trading Philip Kurashev after last season when he broke out, and it is now obvious that that would have been the right move.

Hindsight is always 20/20, but if Donato is re-signed to big money and then his production reverts to the average of his career, fans will be clamoring to move him… when he no longer has much trade value. Now may be the time for the Hawks to move him.

2) Pat Maroon

This is a more straightforward one.

I believe that Kyle Davidson brought Maroon here to move him to a contender at the deadline. He has been a really useful player to this team and honestly, I wouldn’t be opposed to bringing him back.

However, I believe that the most likely scenario is that Maroon gets moved at the deadline for a future fourth or fifth-round pick.

There are always contenders who are looking for a big and imposing player like Maroon at the deadline, and this year will be no different.

3) Connor Murphy

This one would admittedly be a bit sad. Murphy has been a good soldier for this franchise for many many years, but with so many young defensemen coming up, the writing is on the wall for him.

Murphy simply won’t have a place on this blue line after his contract expires in 2026. So the only question is do the Hawks let him play out his contract, and then let him walk, or do they move him to a better team now and help him finally reach the playoffs for the first time in his career?

I would be in favor of moving Murphy if the price is right.

I’ve always been a defender (haha) of his even when critics were especially vocal. I like his steady and responsible style of play, and it pains me that he has been a stalwart of the Blackhawks at one of the worst eras in their history.

However, now is the right time to move Murphy to a contending team (Edmonton always needs a defenseman… Hello Stan Bowman!) and allow him to finally compete in meaningful games while he still can be a top 4 contributor.

If you move Murphy, it may require salary retention.

Murphy makes $4.1 million this year and next, however, he is shockingly only 31 years old. I think that there will be a big market for him at the deadline this year due to his reputation as a steady and responsible defenseman and the fact that he is putting up some decent production this season (1 goal and 10 assists, for 11 points in 31 games).

The Hawks should be looking to get at least a third-rounder, if not a second-rounder, for Murphy.

4) Craig Smith

This is a similar case to Pat Maroon.

Smith was brought here on a one-year deal with the sole purpose of providing depth and leadership. However, Smith has shocked many by actually being one of the Hawks’ most consistent forwards this season.

He has certainly boosted his trade value, although expectations should still be minimal for any large return.

If the Hawks go the route of moving Smith, I would expect that it will be to a team that just needs a bit of playoff depth in their bottom-six.

I would imagine that a return would be something like a fifth or sixth-round pick, similar to the fifth-rounder that the Hawks got from Calgary a few seasons ago when they moved Ryan Carpenter. While a guy like Smith is easy to move, the return will be minimal.

Therefore, it may just make more sense to keep him around and let him play out the season. After all, he has played well and has brought the best out of Lukas Reichel, which is worth a lot more than a late-round pick.

5) A Goalie

I was considering putting Alec Martinez here, but that was so obvious that I decided to go in a more interesting direction.

Here is the situation: The Blackhawks (theoretically) have three good goaltenders. Now, is that a problem? No!

It is better to have good goalies than bad goalies.

However, it is very difficult at the NHL level to carry three goalies. It makes calling up a forward or defenseman in the case of an injury harder, and it makes your goaltending rotation bizarre. Most teams choose to carry two and the Hawks thought that was what they would do this season as well.

The plan was for Petr Mrazek and Laurent Brossoit to carry this team in net this season while Arvid Soderblom, (written off by many if not all Hawks fans) would split time with Drew Commesso in Rockford.

After the season, Soderblom’s contract would be up, and Mrazek and Brossoit each had another year left on their deals.

You let Soderblom walk, and next year you run it back with Brossoit and Mrazek. Easy right? Wrong.

Brossoit may not even exist (I’ve never seen him, have you?), and Soderblom has been excellent with the Blackhawks this year. To complicate matters further, Mrazek is now dealing with another groin injury. This is a problem that has plagued him throughout his career.

It may be the case that Soderblom is now the Hawks’ most valuable goaltender. With future starters Drew Commesso and Adam Gajan developing, the Hawks may have to consider moving one of the three goaltenders that they have at this year’s deadline.

But which one do you move?

Well, believe it or not, you would probably get the most return for moving Soderblom. He is just 25 years old and has a tiny salary cap hit.

Many teams would kill to have him these days. Mrazek would have the next most value, but with injury concerns and another year left at $4.5 million after this season, I’m not sure many teams will want him.

The same goes for Brossoit. This injury of his has been so confounding that it is hard to know exactly what his value is. he has been an exceptional backup goalie when he’s been healthy, but after this season that is no longer a certainty.

If Brossoit comes back and plays really well, I could see him being moved at the deadline. Contending teams really covet depth at the goaltending position and if Brossoit can prove that he is the goalie everyone thought he was when he signed here, then he could be a big asset at the deadline.