The Chicago Blackhawks are projected to finish at the bottom of the standings and that makes a whole lot of sense as they aren't quite ready to take the step towards competing for a playoff spot. That will mean that it makes just as much sense to trade off assets that the team isn't going to keep around. This will come at the trade deadline or close to it as it seems like Chicago is done making offseason moves. With that, there are three teams that I have identified early who could show interest in someone like Ilya Mikheyev.

Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche's depth isn't great and they will be upgrading at some point this season. This is a very good team that will make the playoffs and add by the trade deadline. The most needed position that they will add 1-2 players is at forward for the bottom-6. While there's a handful of players who got a little taste of the NHL last season, many of them are full time AHLers and won't be what the Avalanche need in their playoff lineup. Mikheyev would provide strong defensive play from the third or fourth line and add more scoring, which is what Colorado has desperately needed from their depth these past number of years.

New York Rangers

The New York Rangers have a lot of question marks on their team, most notably at forward with multiple young players vying for regular playing time and to even make the NHL team. Young players like Gabe Perrault, Brett Berard, and Brendan Othmann can all be moved between the NHL and AHL freely, but there are plenty of other forwards who may stay on the team all season or hit waivers at some point. If the Rangers can erase last season and be contenders again, they will be adding to shore up their group and Mikheyev would definitely be someone who could fill a position and be a solid pickup.

Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings must make a push and make the playoffs. They have been close, but before things break down and players want to leave, management has to make more moves and make the team better. While they must make the right side of the defense better, there are very clear holes at forward too. Who knows if Elmer Soderblom will be the piece the Red Wings need and James van Riemsdyk is definitely not a top line player anymore. Even if Detroit is relatively close to a playoff spot, they should be adding. It won't be a major addition, but Mikheyev is the type of mid-level player that could help bolster the team just enough at a cheaper cost.

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