Chicago Blackhawks Trade Deadline Preview: One Week and Counting

The trade deadline is only a week away and the Chicago Blackhawks look to be a buyer rather than a seller this season. 

The need that must be addressed by the Blackhawks at the trade deadline is the second line center position, but it has also been brought up that the Blackhawks need to add some depth to the blue line. 

It seems since the end of training camp the Blackhawks have been looking for a player to anchor the second line center position. The 'Hawks have tried Patrick Sharp, Craig Adams, and now Kris Versteeg, but none of the above are true centers and all have had trouble in the face-off dot.

Some names that have been mentioned over the months for the 'Hawks to go after were Olli Jokinen, Nik Antropov, Keith Tkachuk, Jason Spezza, Antoine Vermette, Doug Weight, Jordan Staal, Samuel Pahlsson, and Dominic Moore.

About three weeks ago, the two players I wanted the Blackhawks to take a look at were Doug Weight and Antoine Vermette, but with Doug Weight injuring his knee, I think he is no longer going to be traded.

Now, along with Antoine Vermette, you need to add Dominic Moore to that list. Moore has played well for a bad team in Toronto with 11 goals, 28 assists, and an even plus-minus rating. The biggest thing that Moore would bring to the Blackhawks is his presence in the face-off circle, as he leads the Leafs in that statistical category with a 54.48 face-off percentage. 

The Blackhawks only have one player that has a face-off percentage over 50 percent, Jonathan Toews (53.33). So Moore immediately helps them in that regard.

Another upside for acquiring Dominic Moore would be his contract, which is only worth $900,000. He's cheaper than Antoine Vermette, so he could be had for pick or a prospect. Moore would put the 'Hawks over the salary cap, but that could be rectified by waiving Craig Adams or sending Aaron Johnson to the AHL.

If Moore were acquired today, this is what the lineup could look like:

Brouwer-Toews-Kane

Ladd-Bolland-Havlat

Versteeg-Moore-Byfuglien

Eager-Fraser-Burish

Personally, I believe the 'Hawks really only need to acquire a second line center, but many have been calling to add another defenseman to play in the top four pairing. Many Blackhawks fans have been calling for Dale Tallon to acquire names like Chris Pronger, Derrick Morris, and Scott Niedermayer, but the bottom line is the Blackhawks cannot afford players like this. 

The cap situation is not conducive to acquiring multiple players unless a big contract like Nikolai Khabibulin or Cristobal Huet is moved, which seems to be a stretch. At this point, the Blackhawks really need a second line center more than another top six defenseman. 

This should be an enjoyable trade deadline to watch from the Chicago Blackhawks perspective. For the first time in recent memory, the 'Hawks will be looking to improve now and in the long run.