Faltering Blackhawks face tough decisions at deadline

To say that the Chicago Blackhawks are having a down season would be a massive understatement. Their 7-1 win last weekend over the Washington Capitals was their first in nine games and their only win so far in the month of February. If anyone thought that high-scoring outburst against one of the top teams in the NHL was a turning point, Chicago put those thoughts to rest with a 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings Monday night.

If you're wondering why the last-place Blackhawks are sputtering this season, you can point to just about everything. Their offense is flat, their defense has been dismal and the goaltending has been suspect. All of this has led to the basement of the Central Division, the furthest the Blackhawks have been from a playoff spot in years.

This is new territory for Chicago with its current core. Instead of GM Stan Bowman gearing up to add pieces to a Stanley Cup-contending roster, the Blackhawks are expected to be a big seller at the trade deadline — in fact, they've already started their sell-off by trading defenseman Michal Kempny to the aforementioned Captials.

So which other Blackhawks are actually on the way out?

Let's start out by addressing all the talk about Artem Anisimov. The rumor mill has kicked into overdrive over the past week, with Anisimov the most intriguing piece that reportedly could be had from Chicago. There has even been talk that the Columbus Blue Jackets have inquired about his availability. However, it doesn't seem likely that Anisimov is moving on at the deadline. Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times notes that the Blackhawks likely will wait to shop the center over the summer when the no-movement clause in his contract is up. Until then, they simply won't have as many options on the table to make a deal.

The same is probably true about Brandon Saad. Sure, the winger is having a down season in his return to Chicago, but it's unlikely that he moves at the Feb. 26 deadline. Nobody on this team is playing particularly well, so pinning the downfall on Saad would be a bit disingenuous, and as multiple folks have pointed out, the Pittsburgh native is due to bounce back. After all, prior to this year, Saad had three straight seasons with at leas 23 goals and 52 points and even earned Selke Trophy consideration last season. Plus, at just 25 years old and with three years left on his contract, the Blackhawks really should keep him.

There have also been reports that the Winnipeg Jets have shown interest in winger Ryan Hartman. However, little else has come to fruition in that department, and the Jets are looking at a lot of players right now in an attempt to beef up for a playoff run.

So, are any of the Blackhawks in the trade rumor mill actually likely to move?

Forward Tommy Wingels has emerged as a trade piece that seems more likely than anyone else to be shipped out. Wingels is a hard-working, grind-it-out player with natural leadership skills who could be intriguing for the right club. A Cup-contending team could benefit from having him on the roster, and the Blackhawks could get a solid draft pick in return for him.

Still, for as bad as the season has gone for the Blackhawks thus far, it's hard to envision many more assets getting traded. After all, this is still a core that features Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith, along with a long history of postseason success.

The 2017-18 season may be a lost one for Chicago, but don't expect too much overhaul as the trade deadline approaches.