When discussing moves that the Tampa Bay Lightning could make before the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline on March 3rd, you can look towards general manager (GM) Julien BriseBois‘ recent history to see what tendencies he has. While BriseBois has been a GM willing to make deals with anyone if it makes his team better, one of his favorite franchises to talk with in recent years has been the Chicago Blackhawks.
Of course, you have the blockbuster deadline deal for Brandon Hagel in 2022, but he also made a trade with the Blackhawks during the 2021 offseason in order to clear cap space. Due to this, Chicago controls the Lightning’s first and second-round picks at the 2023 NHL Draft, so it would make sense that this pattern of mutual gain could continue between the teams.
So, if the Lightning decide to look towards the Blackhawks for a deadline trade once again this season, which players could they target? Chicago features a number of interesting names at all skill levels (and cap hits) so there are definitely players that would interest BriseBois on their roster.
Chicago Has Perfect Depth Forwards for Lightning
Whenever you start a conversation about the Blackhawks and trades, you must address the elephant in the room, which is Patrick Kane. Now, I’m not going to say that it is impossible for the Lightning to acquire the star forward, but the odds of this happening are incredibly small. Due to his $10.5 million cap hit, it would take an incredible amount of juggling in order to make anything happen, and with their lack of future assets, it would complicate this process even more. Also, a deal with Tampa Bay means Chicago would have to be willing to take a relatively meager return, which seems unlikely.
Despite this, I still think that the Blackhawks have a number of forwards that would draw the Lightning’s interest. If they are looking to add a player on an expiring contract, then Max Domi or Andreas Athanasiou could work. Both are veteran forwards making $3 million against the cap, so if half of that salary is retained they could be fit into Tampa Bay’s roster with minimal work required.
Related: NHL Trade Bait List for the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline
Yes, neither player is a game-breaking forward for a team like the Lightning, but they would both provide a flexible depth option that could start in the bottom six or even be a healthy scratch until injury strikes in the postseason. You need these kinds of players on your roster to go far in the postseason, and I imagine neither would be that expensive to acquire when you consider their potential impact on the ice.
If they are looking to acquire someone with a little bit of term, then Sam Lafferty would be a perfect fit. The 27-year-old forward is signed through the 2023-24 season, and he is making a reasonable $1.15 million. When you consider that he plays hard, bottom-six minutes while averaging close to two minutes on the penalty kill each night (and he even leads the league in short-handed goals), so this is the exact kind of player that BriseBois covets at the deadline.
He would be more expensive in a trade, of course, but I wouldn’t be shocked if BriseBois throws caution to the wind in order to make a deal. Depending on what they do, they may be able to convince Chicago to retain some salary, so they could get the perfect starting forward for under $1 million, which would be a massive win for the cap-strapped Lightning.
Lightning Have Limited Defensive Targets From Blackhawks
When it comes to defensive options from the Blackhawks, choices are much more limited. While Jake McCabe has been the target of trade speculation for a few weeks now, I don’t know if he would be a fit for Tampa Bay due to his contract. After this season, he still has two years remaining on his deal paying $4 million per season. This isn’t a bad value by any means, but I don’t know if the Lightning could take on that type of long-term contract at that cost.
Outside of McCabe, the Blackhawks do have Jack Johnson on an expiring contract, who helped the Colorado Avalanche end the Lightning’s bid for three-straight Stanley Cups last season. Despite this recent championship history, I don’t think Johnson would be a target for Tampa bay, unless he was acquired for something like a fifth-round pick, as he would be a pure depth option that would likely be scratched on a healthy roster.
While there are a few Restricted Free Agents that could draw interest, these are young players like Caleb Jones and Ian Mitchell whom Chicago may look to hold onto for future seasons. Either way, I doubt they would generate a lot of interest for a contender like Tampa Bay, but they might fill a need in a smaller trade, so they are worth keeping in mind.
Lightning Could Make Another Important Trade With the Blackhawks
After looking at their potential trade targets, I could see the Lightning working out another deadline deal with the Blackhawks. Sure, it won’t be a blockbuster like in 2022, but the pieces are there for Tampa Bay to add some meaningful depth to their roster for the postseason.
Related: Lightning’s 2023 Trade Deadline Target: The Washington Capitals?
Now, any trade is complicated due to the Lightning’s limited resources, but Chicago has plenty of players that wouldn’t cost too much compared to the rest of the market. So, if BriseBois decides to make a deal by the deadline, don’t be surprised if it involves this familiar trade partner.