October 23, 2024 | 4:58pm ET
TheFourthPeriod.com
BLACKHAWKS KEEPING EYE ON CENTRE MARKET
Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson
The Chicago Blackhawks have a hole up the middle, but that doesn’t mean the team is going to rush into making ga move for a second-line centre.
Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson is believed to be interested in adding a second-line pivot to his roster, a spot currently eaten up by Andreas Athanasiou, who is playing on an expiring contract.
On Wednesday’s edition of “The Latest” on TFP, David Pagnotta reported the Blackhawks are keeping tabs on the centre market and would like to add a young forward for the second-line, though a move may not necessarily be a priority for the rebuilding Blackhawks until the off-season.
“This is another team that would love to add somebody that fits the long-term core of this group. So, keep an eye on Chicago as the season moves along,” Pagnotta said. “Again, probably something more impactful happens in the off-season, but that doesn’t mean Kyle Davidson, like Craig Conroy in Calgary, isn’t going to do with due diligence.
“They don’t have an internal solution yet. Even though they’ve got some young kids in the system, they might end up being on the wing. So, they’re going to keep looking to see if they can add a piece, but add Chicago to the mix of teams that would love to add a 2C in that early-to-mid-20s range at some point over the next several months.”
With just under $4.5 million in current salary cap space this season, as per PuckPedia, the Blackhawks have the ability to add a decently priced player to the lineup if the right deal falls into place.
Davidson does have around $35 million in cap space for the 2025-26 campaign, providing the cap hits its projection of $92.5 million, but that is a result of pending unrestricted free agents like Athanasiou, Taylor Hall, Alec Martinez and Ryan Donato not returning.