Blackhawks: Three risky trades to make with Nashville Predators

Getting a defenseman like Mattias Ekholm would really help the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Chicago Blackhawks still have Duncan Keith on the roster. He isn’t the Norris Trophy-winning defenseman that he was in his prime but he is still a serviceable top-four guy at age 37. He still has two more years on his deal but we don’t know how good he will be for the duration of those years as he gets into his late 30s. There are also some young studs like Ian Mitchell and Nicolas Beaudin coming up that can help along the way.

If the Hawks added a player like Mattias Ekholm to the mix, that could really have some long-term benefits. Of course, he only has one year left on his current deal after 2021 is over but you would have to think that resigning him is a top priority for the Hawks. Even at 30, there is plenty of reason to believe in him going forward. He is a very good defenseman who could play well on his own and help some of these younger kids take that next step.

If the Predators traded Ekholm, they would probably want a first-round pick back and it makes perfect sense why. He is a very good player that will help a team out big time. Giving up Adam Boqvist in the deal makes sense too. He can produce some points, especially on the power play, but not enough to outweigh the other issues in his game. He has been playing better lately but the confidence level in him long term is at an all-time low.

Hopefully, if the rumors of Nashville making big trades comes true, the Hawks are able to be one of the teams taking advantage. None of these moves would help them win the Stanley Cup or anything like that but each one of them can impact the roster in one way or another in a positive manner.  There is no doubt that all of them are risky because none of the players are locked in the long term so it would be up to the Hawks to take full advantage.