December 19, 2023 | 7:02pm ET
TheFourthPeriod.com

BLACKHAWKS FORWARDS WILL DRAW INTEREST

Jason Dickinson, forward

The Chicago Blackhawks sit last in the NHL with a 9-20-1 record and 19 points through their first 30 games on the season as they move ahead with the reconstruction of their club.

As the Blackhawks navigate their rebuild, the team will attract increased trade interest in some of their pending free agents from some of the top playoff contenders after the calendar flips to 2024.

Blackhawks forwards Jason Dickinson, Nick Foligno, Tyler Johnson and recently acquired Anthony Beauvillier are all playing on expiring contracts and will be the subject of trade talk over the next two months leading up to the March 8 trade deadline.

Among the four forwards, only Johnson owns any no-trade protection as part of his contract and owns a 20-team trade list.

The Blackhawks have the ability to retain salary on two more contracts this season and could eat a portion of the salaries of a pair of players in order to help facilitate a move with another club that may be up against the salary cap.

Dickinson, who has a $2.65 million cap hit, does not seem to be overly concerned about potentially being moved or his next contract.

“Honestly, it’s not really something I’m worried about,” he told The Athletic last week. “I know if I play my game and I just do what I do, the contract will sort itself out. Money is money. I’m happy with whatever it is I can get. I just want to keep playing, really. If I do my job, I know I’ll get a contract.”

While some inquiries have been made by teams doing their due diligence, trade talks do not seem to have picked up to this point – and with the NHL’s holiday roster freeze set to take effect tonight at 11:59pm local time, trade chatter isn’t likely to gain momentum until after the freeze lifts at 12:01am local time on Dec. 28, at the earliest.

Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek is also playing in the last year of his three-year contract and could also be a trade target for teams interested in strengthening their goaltending position.

Mrazek, 31, owns a 10-team no-trade list as part of his contract and has a $3.8 million salary cap hit.