Forward Thinking: Blackhawks Look to Add Scorer

Still strapped for cash, the Blackhawks continue to look to add another scoring option to their second line. Currently, the Blackhawks' line-up looks like:

Line 1: Sharp-Toews-Kane

Line 2: Byfulguien-Lang-Havlat

Line 3: Ladd-Bolland-Skille

Line 4: Eager-Burish-Adams

Although the Blackhawks have some great scoring options in Kane, Toews, Sharp, Havlat, and Lang, they cannot rely on Havlat's health or on the youth of Toews and Kane. Dustin Byfulguien (Big Buff) had a great season at wing, but will he be as effective as he was—just another question in the Blackhawks line up.

This team seems like it can be a playoff team.  GM Dale Tallon recently said that their goal is to make it to the Stanley Cup, so if he really wants to make it he needs to add another scoring option.

Another concern for GM Dale Tallon is getting under the salary cap. The way that they could possibly accommodate both situations is to target teams that have a surplus of forwards, need help in goal, and have cap room.

After further examination of teams who fit all of the above criteria, I came up with three possible trade partners, the Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings, and Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Colorado Avalanche have two goal-tenders in Andrew Raycroft and Peter Budaj, both of whom do not have the credentials that Nikolai Khabibulin has. The Avalanche also have a ton of cap space—$10.628 million to be exact—and a surplus of forwards.

The Blackhawks would probably be interested in either Marek Svatos and Wojtek Wolski, two young and talented forwards. A Khabibulin for either Svatos or Wolski straight up would not be in the Avalanche's favor.  They would probably ask for a young winger or pick also.

Names in the Blackhawks system that I could see parting with to accommodate a trade would be, talented power forward Troy Brouwer, Bryan Bickell, or Michael Blunden. The Blackhawks would rather part with Brouwer and Bickell because of the drafting of Kyle Beach and Akim Aliu and Jack Skille waiting in the wings—they have now become expendable.

The Los Angeles Kings are another team in need of a goal-tender with their stud goal Bernier still a few years away. Khabibulin would would be a good stop-gap for this team, but the problem is finding a forward the Kings would be willing to part with? Patrick O'Sullivan? Jared Stoll? Derek Armstrong?

This is where the problem lies with the Kings.  If the Blackhawks are just looking to get under the cap and receive a fourth round pick for Khabibulin, then the Kings are the best team for Chicago to deal with.  However, if they want something in return they are going to give up more, such as one of the prospects mentioned above or D Cam Barker.

As for the Tampa Bay Lightning they are looking to move Jussi Jokinen and Michael Ouellet because they have 17 forwards under contract. The one problem with dealing with the Lightning is that they have Mike Smith, a young goalie, and just recently signed Olaf Kolzig.

For any deal to work, the Blackhawks would probably have to take Kolzig back—this wouldn't be terrible since Huet played with Kolzig in Washington last season.

So after looking at all three teams, the Los Angeles Kings and the Colorado Avalanche seem like the best places for the Blackhawks to trade Khabibulin and pick up another scoring winger.

As a Blackhawk fan, I would love to see them try and pick up Wojtek Wolski for Khabibulin and a pick/prospect.  However, the most likely destination for "The Bulin Wall" will either be Los Angeles or back in Chicago.