The Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres surfaced again in NHL trade speculation after rough starts. How feasible is adding players in trades right now?
The rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks are off to another rocky start. They enter November with a record of 3-7-1, putting them in the basement of the Western Conference.
During Monday's episode of Sportsnet's 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Elliotte Friedman singled out Blackhawks star Connor Bedard's frustration over his club's performance. He dismissed any suggestion of the 19-year-old center wanting out of Chicago but believes the club should consider adding some short-term help without derailing their rebuilding plans.
Friedman also reported the Blackhawks attempted to sign Jake Guentzel before he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning and signed a seven-year contract.
The Blackhawks added veterans like Taylor Hall, Tyler Bertuzzi, Teuvo Teravainen and captain Nick Foligno over the past two summers to ease the burden on Bedard. However, bringing a star in his prime like Guentzel is difficult as they prefer signing with playoff contenders.
Finding a suitable deal this early in the season could be challenging. Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson has salary cap space to add another player and plenty of draft picks and prospects to use as trade bait. He could consider targeting cap-strapped clubs looking to move a high-priced talent.
Turning to the Buffalo Sabres, they enter November sitting in the bottom half of the Eastern Conference standings with a 4-5-1 record. The nagging inconsistency that has plagued this club over the past two seasons remains a concern.
In his Oct. 30 32 Thoughts column, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Sabres GM Kevyn Adams is among the more active GMs shopping around in the trade market. Friedman claims Adams is looking to add to his roster.
The Hockey News' Michael DeRosa cited that report, suggesting the team needs more depth in general to break their 13-year playoff drought.
Friedman didn't elaborate on what Adams is pursuing but it could be more scoring. The Sabres are in the middle of the pack with a 3.20 goals-per-game average.
Off-season addition Jason Zucker is among their leading scorers, with seven points in 10 games. However, young forwards like Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn are struggling to find the back of the net.
Adams was rumored to be in the market for a top-six forward during the off-season. That chatter carried over into early October with suggestions that a player on an expiring contract, such as Jordan Greenway, could be used as trade bait.
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