Blackhawks 2020-21 v2

Isles could still use Hickey when he gets healthy. We already have 8 4th liners, don’t need another one.

I really don’t understand the obsession with getting rid of Nylander from all of the Hawks fans on here. The kid is 21(turning 22 in March) and is in the midst of his first NHL season, There are going to be learning curves. People are so obsessed with the trade that brought him here, and the hate the media cultivated around that trade and by proxy him, that they cannot handle that he is not a top 6 forward yet.

Nylander is a project, and we knew that when we were acquiring him. It makes no sense to trade him now, while his value is probably lower than its ever been.

You've got to consider that Nylander was supposed to enter the team with an immediate impact (hence starting on the top line at the beginning of the season) and he hasn't really provided that. He's not going to get anything from going down to Rockford; that's part of the reason he wanted to get moved out of BUF and took a shot at their hockey club in the media.

If bailing on him now means acquiring someone like Ryan Strome, I'd do it. The only thing is that I can't imagine NYR are shopping him hard considering what he's done for them.

I think the Isles would accept this only if they would buy Smith out immediately. He's blocked on the depth chart by Pelech, Toews, Leddy, and Aho, so unless two of them get moved, I think saving that cap space might be more useful. Just my thought.

I'm not trading him because he isn't a top 6 forward right now, I'm trading him because, based on what I've seen, he never will be. I think we should sell on him ASAP before his value depreciates anymore. You can call him a project, but, despite his age, I don't think he has any more to show than he already has and I think he will remain in that ambiguous zone of being skilled, but not smart enough/not enough effort put in to become the speedy playmaker they want him to be.