The Hawks could try to move core player!

The Chicago Blackhawks fell yet again last night, this time against the Winnipeg Jets by the final score of 6-3, in what is now their eighth consecutive loss. We can't find words to explain the Blackhawks' poor starts this season... Cleary, the arrival of Jeremy Collition behind the bench won't change much: the poor guy took over in an almost impossible situation...

GM Stan Bowman is looking for another way to help his team and, last week, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that Bowman has been travelling around to catch as much action as possible and potentially target key players that can bring immediate help to his roster.

However to be able to target key players that can bring immediate help to his roster, Bowman might have to use a core player as his best trade chip. 

Not so fast... Pierre LeBrun explained last night during a segment of TSN's Insider Trading that he doesn’t believe any of the Blackhawks core players are in play, in part because they all have no-move contracts. Of course, he doubts legacy players like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are going anywhere as they will forever remain untouchables in the Windy City. 

But are other core players getting the same treatment? 

LeBrun believes defenseman Duncan Keith would still attract plenty of interest around the league if he became available in the trade market and would surely bring in an interesting return to the Hawks to lead a retooling - or even a rebuilding - phase to Chicago. 

Contracts will dictate a lot of what Bowman can do closer to the trade deadline. If Keith, or any of the Blackhawks players carrying full no-movement clauses, doesn’t wish to be traded there’s nothing the GM can do about it. We all know Keith's ice-time won't be cut to persuade him to accept a trade as the Hawks desperately need all the help they can get on the ice... 

So unless Keith is looking to get away from the misery of the past season, and the one already inflecting the team this year, it looks like core players will remain put, for now, in Chicago... 

However, it's clear something needs to be done or else the Hawks will once again be out of playoff contention.