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It has been a quiet summer so far for the Chicago Blackhawks. Still, there should be hope in the Windy City. They have a young core of players, led by Connor Bedard. To get back into contention in the Western Conference, moves still need to be made. The Blackhawks need to make a trade in the 2025 NHL offseason to improve their team.
Chicago began their offseason with a buyout, buying out the contract of TJ Brodie on the blue line. They would then bring back Ryan Donato, a linemate of Bedard last year, on a four-year extension. The Hawks have also hit the trade market, making a deal with the Seattle Kraken for Andre Burakovsky. They also brought in some more forward depth, adding Sam Lafferty from the Buffalo Sabres. Now, general manager Kyle Davidson needs to make one more major move this offseason.
Chicago still has $22.2 million in cap space, so they can take on a big contract if needed. They also have plenty of draft capital, with five picks in the first two rounds of the 2026 NHL Draft. Further, they have young players they could move for a major player. The team has been built around Bedard and Frank Nazar, but Lukas Reichel, Colton Dach, Sam Rinzel, and Landon Slaggert are all 23 or younger. They also need scoring help, as they were 26th in the NHL last year in scoring. The defense also struggled, sitting 31st in the NHL in goals against per game. With plenty of trade assets, there is one great move the Blackhawks can make to improve their team.
The Blackhawks should make a trade with the defending champs
One of the deepest rosters in the NHL is that of the Florida Panthers. They have players such as Brad Marchand and Anton Lundell playing on their third line. Marchand scored 20 points in the playoffs, while Lundell had 45 points in the regular season. The Panthers are unlikely to move either of those players, though. They just re-signed Marchand, while Lundell is just 23 years old and under a wonderful contract for the team. Still, Florida needs to find a way to save some money. They were able to bring back Sam Bennett, Marchand, and Aaron Ekblad this offseason. This has caused a salary cap issue.
The Panthers are currently $3.725 million over the cap. Before the season begins, they need to find a way to shed that money. One way to do that is to trade someone who is extra depth, but has a decent contract. That person is Evan Rodrigues. The Canadian-born forward was undrafted in 2015, but would sign an entry-level contract with the Sabres. Rodrigues would play two games with the NHL club that year, and 30 the next. He would make his final jump from the AHL to the Sabres in the 2017-18 season. At the trade deadline in 2020, he would be moved to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Then, the next summer, the Penguins traded him to the Toronto Maple Leafs, but he was not able to come to terms on a contract and returned to Pittsburgh as a restricted free agent.
Rodrigues would then spend 2022-23 with the Avalanche before joining the Panthers in the summer of 2023. He has been consistent in his last four seasons between time with the Penguins, Avalanche, and Panthers. He has played in 80 or more games in three of the last four seasons. Further, while he is coming off a down year, he has scored 30 or more points in each of the last four years as well. This past season was his worst in the last four, scoring just 15 goals while adding 17 assists, good for 32 points.
Beyond consistent production, he also brings playoff experience, something the Blackhawks will need in the future. The two-time Stanley Cup champion has played in 61 playoff games in his career, scoring 13 goals and adding 28 assists. Further, he has scored 15 points in each of the last two playoff runs. He would be a great addition to the second or third lines of the Hawks. With Donato, Bedard, and Teuvo Teravainen taking the top line, he could join Nazar and Burakovsky on the second line, helping with the growth of Nazar.
He may also come at a solid price for the Blackhawks. With the Panthers needing to shed salary, dumping the contract of Rodrigues would save the Panthers $3 million, and nearly get them to the salary cap number they need. He also has two years left on his deal, which would make him more than just a rental for Chicago. This is a deal that could benefit both sides. It would be adding a veteran presence, who can not only score but also play solid defense for the Blackhawks, while allowing the Panthers to save cash.
