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Way-too-early Chicago Blackhawks trade candidates in 2025-26 season

Originally posted on NHL on ClutchPoints
By Tristin McKinstry | Last updated Aug 22, 2025 10:08 PM ET

The Chicago Blackhawks had a horrific 2024-25 campaign that left many around the league disappointed. Connor Bedard is expected to be the next leader of a Golden Age of Blackhawks hockey. However, they stumbled hard this past season, and that has thrown the status of their rebuild into some doubt.

Chicago has made some intriguing moves this summer. None of their moves immediately move the needle, though. New head coach Jeff Blashill will bring the most significant change to the team. He is entering his first head coaching job since being fired by the Detroit Red Wings at the end of the 2021-22 campaign.

In terms of players acquired, there isn’t much to say. Chicago traded Joe Veleno after a short 18-game stretch. He went to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for veteran forward Andre Burakovsky. Another veteran forward — Sam Lafferty — joined the team through trade with the Buffalo Sabres.

The Blackhawks have a lot of faith in their young stars. Bedard should take another step forward entering restricted free agency next summer. Frank Nazar’s seven-year contract extension is a major sign of faith, as well. However, it’s clear this team is still in a rebuild. With this in mind, here are two extremely early trade candidates for the Blackhawks in 2025-26.

Connor Murphy is a valuable trade candidate

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy (5) waits for a faceoff during the second period against the Pittsburgh Penguins at United Center. Talia Sprague-Imagn Images

Connor Murphy was a trade candidate at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. However, the Blackhawks elected not to move him. The veteran right-shot defenseman offers a lot of things teams covet. This includes a young, rebuilding squad such as Chicago.

Murphy’s offense is never going to be anything special. The 32-year-old is a shutdown defenseman through and through. In fact, Murphy is one of the better pure defensive defensemen in the league. He’s not elite, and he won’t play first-pairing minutes. But he can certainly stabilize the bottom pairing while also moving to the second pair if needed.

The Blackhawks didn’t need to trade Murphy last summer. He was signed for an extra season, so they had some time. The extra season is now upon us, though. He is a free agent on July 1 next year. As a result, the onus is now on this front office to pull the trigger on a trade.

The 2026 NHL Trade Deadline could once again end up as a seller’s market. If this pans out, Murphy will certainly be in demand. More than this, he could be one of the most coveted defensemen at the deadline. And that bodes very well for the Blackhawks.

Lukas Reichel may need a change of scenery

Lukas Reichel was once seen as an intriguing NHL prospect. Many around the game thought he had a chance to breakout as a star for the Blackhawks. However, things have not gone that way in recent seasons.

Reichel had a solid season in 2023-24, playing the majority of his season in the NHL. He scored five goals and 16 points in 75 games. However, he did not make a significant leap this past season. In fact, his ice time dropped by nearly three minutes on average.

The Blackhawks youngster is still young enough to turn things around. He may not be able to turn things around in Chicago, though. If he struggles early in 2025-26, it wouldn’t hurt to see if a “hockey trade” can be made. A team looking for young talent should definitely take a flyer on the former first-round pick if he’s available.

This article first appeared on NHL on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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