Hawks scramble to get new trade deadline plan together with days to go!

No one expected the Chicago Blackhawks to get back into the playoff race. The Hawks are now tied at 61 points with the Colorado Avalanche for the last Wild Card spot in the Western Conference and have been on a roll, winning 10 of their last 12 games and working hard to remain in the race. 

And it seems like general manager Stan Bowman too wasn't expecting his team to get back in the race. However, now, it seems like the team must get a new trade deadline plan going before Monday. 

Team insiders Scott Powers and Mark Lazerus of The Athletic speculated over what the resurgent Hawks will do at the trade deadline in their latest column, reporting that the team is shopping John Hayden and Gustav Forsling. They also suggest they could consider moving defenseman Erik Gustafsson for the right price, however, some players aren't willing to get into the trading game: Powers cites a source claiming Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Marcus Kruger, Artem Anisimov, and Chris Kunitz aren’t interested in waiving their no-trade clauses.

While the Hawks could pull some moves prior to Monday afternoon, NHL insider Bob McKenzie maintains that they won't be any quick fixes in Chicago, despite their desire to clinch a playoff berth. McKenzie believes Bowman will be careful to make the right hockey trade and not mortgage the team's future. 

“Word out of Chicago is no quick fixes to try and push them over the top,” indicated McKenzie on Wednesday evening first intermission TV hit on NBCSN. “That they’re looking at a bigger plan with hockey deals and not looking at giving up future assets for the rentals that are out there. So it’s hockey deals or bust right now for the Chicago Blackhawks.

“Now, the development of Dylan Strome as a second-line center - and you saw his magic with Alex DeBrincat with what they’ve meant to the Chicago Blackhawks - does mean that Artem Anisimov could become expendable. But he’s got two years left at $4.5 million AAV. That might not be an easy deal to move. But it is certainly something the Blackhawks would look at."

The clock is ticking and the Hawks will have to decide how much they want to gamble before Monday...