The Chicago Blackhawks had a busy offseason. They brought in Tyler Bertuzzi, Teuvo Teravainen, Ilya Mikheyev, Craig Smith, Pat Maroon, Alec Martinez, TJ Brodie, and Laurent Brossoit. After a summer of spending, they are expected to be a bit more competitive.
Yet, the Blackhawks are still in the beginning portion of their rebuild and have far more work to do to become an actual playoff team. Because of this, if they are out of the playoff race nearing the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, a former Boston Bruins forward may become their biggest trade chip — Taylor Hall.
Hall, 32, is entering the final season of his contract and will hit the free-agent market next summer if he does not get re-signed. When noting that he is a top-six forward with plenty of experience and a Hart Trophy on his resume, there should certainly be interest in him if the Blackhawks made him available for trade next season.
However, Hall will also need to stay healthy next season for the Blackhawks. This past campaign was rough for the 2010 first-overall pick, as he suffered a season-ending knee injury in November that required surgery. In 10 games for the Blackhawks in 2023-24, he had two goals and four points.
It will be fascinating to see what happens with Hall next season. If he stays healthy, he should be impactful for the Blackhawks in a top-six role. However, if they are out of the playoff race nearing the deadline and Hall is not extended, don’t be surprised if they actively shop him.
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