The Blackhawks officially put a bow on the 2021-22 season on Friday, so lets dive into our top five storylines to follow going into the offseason.
The Blackhawks don't have many tradable assets that could kickstart a true rebuild. Alex DeBrincat is probably the guy that would fetch the largest return, but the Blackhawks would have to have their socks blown off for that to happen. Think of what the Blackhawks got for Brandon Hagel then multiply it. Nobody appears to be off the table, so we'll see if the Blackhawks get any offers this summer that could help them accumulate draft capital or prospects.
Also something to monitor as we get ready to watch the Stanley Cup Playoffs: If Minnesota advances to the Western Conference Final and Fleury is the winning goaltender of record in a minimum of four games through two rounds, Chicago will receive Minnesota's first-round pick in 2022. If those conditions aren't met, Chicago will receive Minnesota's second-rounder.
And finally: If Edmonton makes it to the Stanley Cup Final and Duncan Keith ranks top four among Oilers defensemen in ice time during the first three rounds, Chicago will receive Edmonton's second-round pick in 2022. If those conditions aren't met, Chicago will receive Edmonton's third-rounder.From Jan. 4 and on, Strome had 19 goals and 22 assists for 41 points in 47 games.
Strome completely turned his season around, and it's going to make for some fascinating contract negotiations because he's eligible for arbitration as a pending restricted free agent. If disgruntled forward Jake DeBrusk got a two-year extension at a $4 million cap hit with Boston, Strome can make a case that should be his benchmark at the very least.
Here's the thing: It's probably not going to be a fun experience if you're the goaltender of the Blackhawks next season. They might be bad enough where they're in the hunt for the No. 1 overall pick, so there's no point in trying to use next season as an opportunity to develop a goaltender. It might make more sense to bring in a Cam Ward-type veteran as the starter to get the Blackhawks through the next year or two so it doesn’t wreck the psyche of a prospect.
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