Forget July 1, Blackhawks Need to Act Now

To be successful, an NHL team needs at least six scoring forwards. The Chicago Blackhawks have at least four: Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp and Andrew Ladd. The current roster is rounded out by Martin Havlat and Robert Lang, both of which are under contract for another season. The question is whether its in the Hawks' best interest to have both Lang and Havlat on the roster opening night. With Lang approaching 38 years of age, Havlat having played in just 55% of games in his two years with the Hawks, and the Hawks spending $10 million between the two of them, the Hawks should at least explore trade options for Lang and Havlat. Its no secret the Hawks want to add a puck moving defenseman and a top six forward, so why wait until free agency starts? With the draft less than a week away and several moves involving picks appearing to develop, why not see what they can get in exchange for these two? With reports of Olli Jokinen, Patrick Marleau and Vincent Lecavalier on the trading block, the Hawks have an opportunity to add a player making as much as Havlat without having to worry about the uncertainty of free agency. Whether the Hawks will pursue this opportunity, however, is also an uncertainty.