There are pros and cons to trading Blackhawks’ Alex DeBrincat

The Chicago Blackhawks had an abysmal season in 2021-22. They went 28-42-12 which was good for 68 standings points and seventh place in the central division. The only team that finished below them was the Arizona Coyotes who are one of the worst franchises in sports.

This team has a long way to go before they are good again. They have a large portion of their production coming from veterans who make a lot of money but are aging and don’t have much time left on their deals.

One player who exceeded expectations again was Alex DeBrincat. He certainly isn’t overpaid and is still pretty young but the Hawks still have to make a decision with him. He has one year left on his deal at 6.4 million and he is going to see a significant pay raise after that.

If the Hawks aren’t going to be good while he gets that pay raise, it might not be a wise idea. They would certainly get a lot of him on the trade market but it is also very hard to trade a 40-goal scoring All-Star. There are definitely pros and cons.

Trading Alex DeBrincat will have pros and cons for the Chicago Blackhawks.

Pros:

There are a lot of pros when it comes to trading Alex DeBrincat. For one, they would get a huge haul for him. It is obvious because he is young and just entering his prime. A good team (or even a not-so-good team looking to take that next step) would give up a lot.

What is a lot? First-round picks, prospects, and NHL-ready players could be in play when it comes to trading Alex DeBrincat. The Blackhawks need all of those things as they are set to undergo a rebuild. Having Alex DeBricnat might hinder that process from being done the right way.

Losing Alex DeBrincat also makes the Chicago Blackhawks a worse team. That might sound like a con (which it kind of is) but it is also a pro. This team needs to be bad for a few years.

There is a generational talent available in the draft next year and DeBrincat’s goal-scoring prowess could keep them from getting him. Rebuilding the right way is sometimes a painful process and you have to give up good players to do so.

Cons:

The cons are obvious. 40 or more goals are being taken out of the lineup. That eliminates the possibility of a sneaky good team existing in 2022-23. Although it is probably a good thing, it would be much less fun.

People want the Hawks to be better than bad and having DeBrincat makes that a possibility. It is a lot of fun watching him make awesome plays with Patrick Kane in a Blackhawks jersey. A lot of life would be taken from this team if he left.

It is certainly going to be interesting to see if the Blackhawks have what it takes to make a move like this. There is no perfect answer to the question but we all know the Blackhawks need to be much better as a team. Kyle Davidson needs to put his best foot forward in order for that to happen. Trading number 12 might be a painfully good idea.