3 Moves The Chicago Blackhawks Have To Make This Off-Season

The Chicago Blackhawks have some decisions to make this off-season. The Blackhawks received wonderful news when it was announced that Jonathan Toews will be returning next season. They had a 24-25-7 record without him, but perhaps they will see improvement with his return. The emergences of Kevin Lankinen and Pius Suter certainly creates more optimism with this team, too. However, there is still more work to be done if they want to be in the playoffs again.

Here are three moves that they should consider making.

Trade Duncan Keith: The Blackhawks are working hard to finalize a Duncan Keith deal. The 37-year-old defenseman requested a trade, and it seems that the Edmonton Oilers are the frontrunners. Trading Keith will free up a little over $5.5 million of cap space, which the team will be able to use elsewhere. At the end of the day, Keith's tenure in Chicago was simply magnificent, but now it's time for both parties to move on.

Trade Nikita Zadorov: Although Nikita Zadorov is a very effective defensive defenseman, the Blackhawks may have no choice but to trade him. According to The Athletic, Zadorov wants a five-year deal with a $5.85 million cap hit. That is just far too expensive for a defenseman who does not contribute much offensively. Although his physicality adds a lot to the team, they cannot give him this deal. He is a restricted free agent, but will be eligible for unrestricted free agency after next season. Thus, going to arbitration does not seem worthwhile, either.

Sign Forward And Defenseman: By trading these two defensemen, the Blackhawks will have some money to work with. However, going for a guy like Dougie Hamilton may still be out of their budget. Instead, it may be wise to look to bring in at least one forward and defenseman. For example, Jamie Oleksiak would be cheaper than what Zadorov is asking for and is a very similar player. There are also many forward options on the open market, too. They specifically need an upgrade or two on either wing, so perhaps this should be their primary focus.