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With the Chicago Blackhawks near the bottom of the NHL standings, the team is expected to sell at the trade deadline.
The issue the Blackhawks will face is that they don't have many pieces who are likely to bring back big returns. Taylor Hall was just dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes at a low cost, and the Blackhawks will have a tough time bringing back any significant future assets. However, one of the pieces that could possibly be moved is Alec Martinez.
Martinez has spent parts of 16 seasons in the NHL, capturing three Stanley Cups. This past summer, the defender signed a one-year deal in Chicago, to help stabilize the Blackhawks' blue line. Martinez has missed quite a bit of time this season – playing in just 25 games – but he's been a decent addition.
With Martinez on an expiring contract, the Blackhawks would be best to test the market for the defender. If Chicago can ship Martinez to a contender and add a draft pick, the signing will have been well worthwhile.
Below, we take a look at three possible destinations for Martinez.
Florida Panthers would be an ideal fit
Coming off their first Stanley Cup win, the Panthers still have the pieces in place to contend again. Their offense remains one of the best in the NHL, given Florida really didn't lose any key forwards following their Cup win.
Their defense group, however, was hit hard in the offseason. The Panthers lost Brandon Montour, as well as Oliver Ekman-Larsson in free agency. Gustav Forsling and Aaron Ekblad remain a high-end top pairing, while Dmitry Kulikov has ended up performing well enough in a larger role alongside Niko Mikkola.
But as of now, Florida would enter the postseason with Uvis Balinskis and Nate Schmidt as their bottom pairing, and you have to think that any upgrade they make is coming on the blue line.
The market also isn't huge for rental defensemen. Considering Marcus Pettersson is now off the board, Martinez is one of the better options available. In Florida, Martinez wouldn't be tasked with too large of a workload but could be used as a fourth/fifth defender.
The other consideration is that the Panthers don't have a ton of assets available to trade. Their earliest pick in the 2025 NHL Draft is in the fourth round. As a result, Florida may not be able to spend a ton at the deadline, anyway. While Martinez wouldn't command a first-round pick, a 2026 second-round pick could be a realistic price to pay for a defensive upgrade.
Edmonton Oilers still need to add to their blue line
Looking towards the other half of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final matchup, the Edmonton Oilers remain another possible trade partner.
The Oilers traded Cody Ceci this offseason in a move to clear cap space. However, the defense group still doesn't necessarily look much better than last year. The Oilers signed John Klingberg, but it remains to be seen whether that's really going to have a positive impact. With Edmonton poised to be buyers at the deadline, Martinez is a fit that could make sense.
Capable of playing the right side, Martinez could possibly slot into the top-four if needed. He's already averaging 20 minutes per game in Chicago, and while he'd arguably be better suited for a bottom-pairing role on a contender at this stage, the addition would still give the Oilers some flexibility. He could be used on the right side to play with Darnell Nurse or shifted to the third pairing.
If the Oilers end up seeking a rental over a defender with term, Martinez would be a decent option.
Martinez could be an upgrade to Winnipeg Jets' bottom pairing
Sitting atop the Western Conference, the Winnipeg Jets are in the midst of a standout year. Their core is already in place, but given their position, we're likely to see the Jets try to fill some holes at the deadline.
The biggest swing the Jets could take would be adding a legitimate second-line center. Any deal of that size is likely to cost major assets but would also make a bigger difference to their chances at a Cup. But that doesn't necessarily prevent them from also trying to upgrade their blue line depth. With quite a bit of cap space available and most of their draft pick capital intact, the Jets could feasibly add multiple players before the deadline.
Winnipeg's top-four group is set with Josh Morrissey, Dylan DeMelo, Dylan Samberg, and Neal Pionk. Morrissey can pretty much do it all, while Pionk is a key offensive contributor. Meanwhile, DeMelo and Samberg have provided a ton of stability to balance out each of the top pairings. But an upgrade to the bottom pairing could still be coming.
The Jets have primarily used a combination of Logan Stanley, Colin Miller, and Haydn Fleury on the third pairing. None of them have averaged even 17 minutes per game, and there's been a big reliance on the top-four.
Considering Martinez could likely be added at a reasonable cost, it's a possible low-risk, short-term upgrade for Winnipeg.
