3 Blackhawks Trade Candidates Heading Into the New Year

The Chicago Blackhawks are going to finish near the bottom of the standings this season barring a miracle. By the time the trade deadline rolls around, there will be some prime candidates that contenders are looking at to grab for their playoff run.

The Blackhawks have a lot to give this season and can help build towards next season and the future with the right moves. Heading into the New Year, let's take a look at the trade candidates in Chicago.

Taylor Hall

The Blackhawks are most likely to trade Taylor Hall before the deadline this season. He is a pretty good veteran to have in the room, but his production hasn't been where it needs to be or was expected to be this season. He has struggled offensively for the most part despite scoring seven goals and recording 19 points in 36 games.

Hall may be a top-6 winger on the Blackhawks, but on a contender, could be a strong third line player. His cap hit sits at $6 million AAV and he has a 10-team no-trade list, but that shouldn't get too much in the way of the Blackhawks making a trade.

Half of his cap could be retained by the Blackhawks to cut it to $3 million and he can still fly down the wing. As a veteran, former first overall pick, and someone who is used to moving around, nobody should be worried about a lackluster performance once he gets to a new team and has another chance at a playoff run.

Alec Martinez

Alec Martinez still has some more to give near the end of his career. The 37-year-old is a multi-time Stanley Cup winner with tons of experience. This is the type of defenseman a contender would love to add to their d-core for a run, even if Martinez only gets in some games. He will be around the team and in the room, but as far as his game goes, it isn't bad at all.

Martinez has logged over 20 minutes per game in somewhat limited action this season due to injury. He hopefully won't miss too much more time, but there is also a ways to go before the trade deadline comes.

Related: 3 Blackhawks Who Can Advance Their Careers At Winter Classic

The cap hit of Martinez is $4 million, except the Blackhawks would still have one retention spot to use and he has no trade protection. Martinez knows his role with the Blackhawks and understood it coming in. His role would change for a playoff run with another team, but he should definitely get attention by the deadline. Chicago should trade him if given the opportunity, even if it's just for a late round pick.

Ryan Donato

Ryan Donato has opened a lot of eyes this season and there is still the discussion of whether the Blackhawks should try to re-sign him or trade him. One thing the team can't do is hold into him and then fail to bring him back in the off-season.

Donato is in his prime and has been able to produce wherever he's played this season. He has been one of the best Blackhawks this season and been more consistent than the majority of the players.

He is tied for the team lead in goals (11) and third in points (20) through 35 games. The 28-year-old has been able to do this while playing less than 15 minutes per game on average. What will get the attention of almost every team looking to add this season is the combination of Donato's production and his $2 million AAV cap hit as a potential rental.

The Blackhawks are going to be sellers, but the team could also look to re-sign a player or two on an expiring deal before the trade deadline instead of trading them. Regardless of my opinion whether they should look to keep anyone except Donato, Kyle Davidson has some decision-making to do so this team takes a step forward and has the means to do so in 2025-26.

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game day coverage, player features, and more.

Recent Blackhawks News

Related: Winter Classic Preview: Line Combinations, How To Watch, Stats

Related: Jonathan Toews Hasn't Ruled Out Coming Back To Hockey