The Chicago Blackhawks are once again near the bottom of the NHL in 2024-25. The Blackhawks fired head coach Luke Richardson due to some poor performances on the ice. And Chicago has seen star forward Connor Bedard struggle at times this year. This is despite the team’s efforts to surround him with veterans such as Taylor Hall, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Teuvo Teravainen.

It has not been the most promising year for the franchise on the ice. Chicago hoped to be more competitive in games this season in an effort to see some improvement in the standings. However, it has not happened. In fact, there has been more regression among the Blackhawks than progression.

The Blackhawks find themselves dead last in the Central Division with a record of 12-20-2. Chicago is only one point back of the Nashville Predators for seventh in the Central Division. Finishing seventh would be an improvement for this franchise, to be fair. But they certainly wanted more positive development in 2024-25.

The Blackhawks are likely to be sellers around the NHL Trade Deadline. And there are a couple of moves this franchise can take moving forward. However, there is one player on the team who should be traded as soon as possible. It’s a player with a rather up-and-down track record through his time in the league.

Blackhawks could dangle Taylor Hall in trade talk

The Blackhawks traded for Taylor Hall back in the summer of 2023. Hall had spent time with the Boston Bruins before the deal. He was on the Boston squad that broke the NHL’s single-season wins record in 2022-23. Overall, Hall has had some rather infamous moments in the NHL.

Perhaps the most infamous moment in his career came off the ice. The Edmonton Oilers traded Hall to the New Jersey Devils in 2016 in exchange for defenseman Adam Larsson. It was a one-for-one trade that sparked a ton of discussion at the time.

The discussion kicked into another gear after Hall’s dominant 2017-18 season. The former first-overall pick scored 39 goals and 93 points that season to lead New Jersey back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Hall earned the Hart Trophy as the league MVP for his efforts that season.

Unfortunately, Hall has struggled to match that sort of production in the years since. However, he remains an effective player for the Blackhawks. This season has seen the 33-year-old Calgary native score seven goals and 16 points in 33 games. He is currently on pace for 17 goals and 41 points across 81 games.

Again, Hall is not going to reach his former MVP-level production. But he also doesn’t need to. The pending unrestricted free agent can serve well as a secondary scorer on a contending team. He could also mentor some of the younger players on any contending team. Hall has served this role on the Blackhawks, and especially with Connor Bedard.

What the Blackhawks could receive in return certainly remains to be seen. However, there should be a few interested teams as trade activity kicks back up in 2025. Chicago is not going to the playoffs this year. As a result, putting Hall on the trade block is an obvious decision to make.

Taylor Hall has certainly done well to bounce back from last year’s injury. And it should result in a chance for him to compete for a Stanley Cup in 2024-25. The Blackhawks should make this trade as soon as an agreeable offer reaches their desk.