After Recent Extensions, Insider Lists 2 Blackhawks Most Likely To Be Traded

The Chicago Blackhawks surprised some by signing goaltender Petr Mrazek to an extension this week, despite the goaltender being a prime trade candidate who could have brought back some nice assets with how well he's played this season for the rebuilding team. They also re-signed Jason Dickinson to a two-year extension, taking him out of the potential trade mix as well. 

According to Blackhawks insiders  Mark Lazerus and Scott Powers in The Athletic, Mrazek and Dickinson, along with the injured Taylor Hall, are "now the veteran leadership group that’s tasked with ushering in and supporting the next generation of Blackhawks", most notably Connor Bedard and Kevin Korchinski. 

But that doesn't mean the Hawks won't be sellers at all by the March 8th trade deadline. Lazerus and Powers list these two as likely to be dealt:

Colin Blackwell

Coming off a 2-year, $2.4 million contract, the pending UFA isn't expected to be re-signed. He's been playing a top-six role with Chicago, but any acquiring team would likely relegate him back to his usual bottom-six duties, where he'd perform admirably. He's been on a nice run this month, with five points in 12 games, and as noted in The Athletic, "he’s been all over the ice... hitting, forcing turnovers, making plays."

At just a $1.2M cap hit, the six-year veteran would be a nice, cheap buy for any playoff-bound team looking for a 4th-line boost. 

Tyler Johnson

The 33-year-old veteran has been out since Dec. 31st with a right foot injury, but is expected back on the Hawks' current road trip this week, just in time to get back to showcasing himself for a possible deal. He's recorded 9 goals in 35 games (13 points total) in just over 15 minutes of ice time a night. 

But with his $5 million cap hit (expiring after the season), the Hawks will need to retain probably half of that to get a deal done. 

Johnson had four 20-goal seasons earlier in his career, but injuries have curtailed his production over the last few years. 

It's unlikely Chicago will re-sign him this summer, so a trade would be best for all involved. 

Photo: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports