NEWSLETTER
With the Blackhawks looking to get better in the coming season, new bodies are expected to be brought in to help build more real competition for roster spots. How those players are acquired is the tricky part; free agency will impact the next roster in Chicago, but the Blackhawks have their share of assets that might become trade chips between now and training camp (especially internal RFAs).
If the Blackhawks look to add some young bodies with NHL experience via trade this summer, who are players that might make sense and be available for the right price? Here are a few names that might come up in trade rumors this summer as the Hawks’ front office looks to add more skill to its lineup.
Arthur Kaliyev, RW
DOB: June 26, 2001
6-2, 210
Shoots: Left
2023-24 NHL Stats: 51 games, 7 goals, 8 assists
2023-24 Cap Hit: $894,167
Status: RFA
Kaliyev was originally a second-round pick (No. 33) by the Kings in 2019 and had a couple decent seasons for LA, scoring 14 and 13 goals in the 2021-22 and ’22-23 seasons, respectively. But this season he found himself squarely in the doghouse and couldn’t get out. He appeared in only 51 games and scored only seven goals. Here’s the thing: he’s big, but he doesn’t hit (104 in 187 games over the past three seasons combined). He should be a scorer but it’s hard to do that averaging 12 minutes per night. He’s a restricted free agent this summer and might be a guy whose rights the Kings look to flip around the draft.
Oliver Wahlstrom, RW
DOB: June 13, 2000
6-2, 200
Shoots: Right
2023-24 NHL Stats: 32 games, 2 goals, 4 assists
2023-24 Cap Hit: $874,125
Status: RFA (w/ Arb rights)
Wahlstrom, like Kaliyev, is an RFA who struggled to get on the ice consistently this year. He’s appeared in only 77 combined games over the past two seasons (a torn ACL in the middle of the 2022-23 season impacted his availability). He played the 2023-24 season on a one-year deal and was a scratch frequently by the Islanders. Originally the 11th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft by the Islanders, he might be a cap casualty on an aging roster because of his lack of production; he’s scored only 34 goals in 193 career regular season games. With the Blackhawks looking to add depth on the right side, he could be a nice buy-low candidate with a fresh opportunity. He’ll play next season as a 23-year-old, so there’s still development that can happen here.
Alex Turcotte, C
DOB: Feb. 26, 2001
5-11, 185
Shoots: Left
2023-24 NHL Stats: 20 games, 1 goal, 3 assists
2023-24 Cap Hit: $894,167
Status: RFA
Turcotte is someone plenty of Blackhawks fans have lusted for since the 2019 NHL Draft, when he was selected fifth overall by the Kings — two spots after the Hawks picked Kirby Dach — because he grew up in the burbs. Local kids always get a little extra love in this town. However, after he was drafted he played one modest season at Wisconsin in the Big Ten before turning pro, and he’s never been able to stick on the Kings’ NHL roster; he’s appeared in only 32 games over his three-year entry-level contract. But there are some concerns, which Corey Pronman outlined in a recent piece looking back at what we can learn from the 2019 NHL Draft:
The pick looked problematic almost from Day 1 when Turcotte left junior hockey for college. He hasn’t played great versus pros either, looking like a bottom-of-the-lineup type of forward at best. Turcotte’s been often injured, so that surely played a variable in his development, but there were issues in his projection, too. He wasn’t the biggest center, and while talented, he didn’t have any true high-end offensive traits. His speed and compete versus juniors helped him stand out, but against bigger men, there were other guys his size who could skate well and worked hard, so he became more ordinary.
Turcotte, like Kaliyev, appears to be a young player who isn’t developing quickly enough for the Kings’ window and might be expendable as an RFA this summer. While the concerns Pronman outlined are very real, a change of scenery might serve him well. And coming home might help him find something in his game. He scored 10 goals in 35 games in the AHL this season.
Filip Zadina, RW
DOB: Nov. 27, 1999
6-0, 200
Shoots: Left
2023-24 NHL Stats: 72 games, 13 goals, 10 assists
2023-24 Cap Hit: $1.1M
Status: RFA
Zadina is another high pick that simply hasn’t worked out. He was the sixth overall selection in the 2019 NHL Draft by Detroit, and they allowed him to walk away after appearing in 190 NHL games over five seasons. He signed a one-year deal in San Jose last year and averaged only 13 minutes per game over 72 appearances, but was able to score 13 goals in that limited action. If the Blackhawks are looking for a spark in their middle six and want to add depth on the right side, his RFA rights might be an interesting play. And the acquisition cost might be right for a guy who turns 25 early in the coming season.
