3 Chicago Blackhawks trades that get them back into first round

The Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins could make a swap.

The Chicago Blackhawks desperately need a first-round pick. Kirby Dach is a former first-round pick that is not developing like they thought he was going to. They might as well try to land someone new in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft and get something for Dach.

Danton Heinen is a pretty good depth forward but he isn’t moving anyone’s needle right now. The real prize in this deal would be getting the Hawks back into the first round. If they are truly as down on Dach as it seems like they are, they should consider this.

Reese Johnson is like Heinen in terms of a depth piece that could contribute some good play here and there but Heinen is probably a little bit better. The Penguins would be hoping that they could unlock something in Dach to make him worthy of a big contract sometime soon.

They are going to lose Evgeni Malkin in free agency this summer if they can’t get a deal done soon. He is an unrestricted free agent after putting up a career that should have him considered to be a top-20 player who ever lived. That means they might be looking for a new center and Dach could be that guy if he ever panned out.

We don’t know for sure if the Hawks will actually go through with a trade that gets them back into the first round but they are certainly going to explore it. All of these trades might be similar to the one that would happen or they might be completely off.

That is for Kyle Davidson and the other 31 GMs to ponder ahead of the 2022 NHL Draft. At the end of it all, we can only hope that the Blackhawks come out of the summer as a hockey team with a brighter future because it is bleak right now.