Blackhawks' latest trade rumors expose a major failure by Kyle Davidson

The Chicago Blackhawks haven't even reached November, and Kyle Davidson is already looking for help.

That should raise a few eyebrows.

After spending the offseason preparing for what was supposed to be another step forward in the rebuild, Chicago is reportedly searching the trade market for offensive reinforcements. The problem isn't that Davidson wants to improve his roster. It's that the very thing he's looking for now was something the Blackhawks desperately needed months ago.

And with Chicago sitting at 4-8-0, it's fair to wonder why the front office waited.

Blackhawks trade rumors raise questions about Kyle Davidson's offseason

According to NHL insider Frank Seravalli, Davidson has been contacting teams about acquiring scoring wingers with size and a willingness to shoot.

Good luck finding one of those at a reasonable price.

Every general manager in hockey would love to add a big winger who can score. Those players aren't exactly sitting around waiting for someone to call.

But the bigger issue is why Chicago entered the season without enough of that talent in the first place.

Through 12 games, the Blackhawks rank 31st in goals per game and dead last in five-on-five shot attempts per game. Their power play hasn't been much better, sitting 31st in the league.

Those numbers aren't encouraging for a team that expected to compete for a playoff spot.

Davidson has spent years accumulating draft picks and prospects. Nine players selected in the first 2 rounds under his leadership are already on the NHL roster.

At some point, though, collecting young talent has to translate into winning hockey games.

And while nobody expected Chicago to suddenly become a Stanley Cup favorite, asking for a competitive team in Year 5 of a rebuild isn't unreasonable.

Davidson may have created a problem that costs the Blackhawks even more

There's another wrinkle to these trade rumors.

Davidson might have to surrender some of the young talent he's spent years collecting to acquire the scoring help Chicago needs.

Philadelphia has reportedly shown interest in Frank Nazar and Oliver Moore, although the Blackhawks aren't believed to be actively shopping Nazar.

That creates an awkward situation.

Chicago could potentially move a promising young player to address a weakness that was apparent before the season started.

Or Davidson could use some of the seven first-round selections the organization holds over the next 3 drafts.

Neither approach is automatically wrong. Eventually, a rebuilding team has to turn some of its assets into established NHL production.

But timing plays a role in the price.

Teams aren't usually eager to trade productive scoring wingers in October. If Davidson couldn't find the right deal during the offseason, there's little reason to assume negotiations will suddenly become easier now.

The Blackhawks have also been linked to Washington Capitals winger Ivan Miroshnichenko, a former first-round selection who has struggled to establish himself in the NHL.

He might become a useful player. But acquiring another developing forward wouldn't necessarily solve Chicago's immediate scoring problem.

The Blackhawks can't keep pushing their rebuild into next season

Davidson deserves credit for rebuilding a prospect pipeline that badly needed attention when he took over.

But developing prospects and constructing a competitive NHL roster are two different responsibilities.

Chicago has Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar and several promising young players who should eventually form the foundation of a much better team.

They also need experienced players capable of helping those prospects succeed.

There's nothing wrong with Davidson exploring the trade market. In fact, he probably should be doing exactly that.

The uncomfortable question is why the Blackhawks are still searching for such an obvious piece of their offense after another full offseason.

Twelve games don't determine an entire season, and Chicago still has time to improve.

But if Davidson eventually has to overpay for the type of player he could have pursued months earlier, the criticism will be difficult to dismiss.

The rebuild was never supposed to last forever.

| More Blackhawks on DaWindyCity |

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow