The Chicago Blackhawks had the worst season of any team in the normal Central Division and their fans still weren’t put through the pain that Toronto Maple Leafs’ fans are in. They had one of the best seasons in franchise history as they dominated their way to the top of the North Division (all Canada) and it means absolutely nothing. They had a 3-1 series lead in round one against the Montreal Canadiens and blew it.
Game seven saw them play horribly and now they are out. Their two superstar players, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner combined for one measly goal after being top ten in league scoring for 2020-21. It was a disaster of an ending that is going to keep the conversation going for a very long time. There are going to be some changes to that organization in short order.
The Chicago Blackhawks would be smart to help the Maple Leafs with this problem.
There are plenty of Toronto Maple Leafs’ free agents to consider but they also might just trade away one of their stars that make a lot of money. Everyone not named Auston Matthews should be on the table after the way the last few years have gone. Mitch Marner’s name comes to everyone’s mind as he was awful in this series after being straight-up dominant in the regular season.
The Blackhawks would certainly have a much brighter future if they added someone like Mitch Marner to the group. He was the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft (one pick behind Dylan Strome) and now he is a star player. If the Hawks wanted to add someone like that, this is what a trade might look like: