The Chicago Blackhawks front office has plenty of assets to work with in trade talks this work with more young players being made available across the league. Moving Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers in a big trade on Saturday was exactly what the team needed to further move the rebuild in the right direction.
Even though the team could look to trade away veterans Ryan Donato and Petr Mrazek this week, the idea of adding to the young core is not off the table either. The Blackhawks have the assets to make an aggressive push at a young star and now is probably the best time for them to do so.
With a plethora of young goal scorers potentially available on the trade market this week, the Blackhawks need to do whatever they can to get Connor Bedard some immediate help before other big name prospects within the organization sign their entry level deals. This could also be a big summer for Chicago with the pending free agent class, but nothing there is a given so a chance to improve the roster at the deadline will be on their minds at all times this week.
Why the Chicago Blackhawks should have interest in JJ Peterka
JJ Peterka was a second round draft choice of the Buffalo Sabres in the 2020 draft. He is a 23-year-old winger from Munich, Germany who signed his entry level contract at the end of the 2021-22 season. NHL insider Frank Seravalli listed Peterka as a new trade candidate this week and that Buffalo is receiving plenty of calls for him.
“Peterka hits the Trade Targets like a wrecking ball, a 23-year-old first line winger with tons of untapped potential still,” Seravalli wrote. “Sources say any team calling Buffalo has been met with resistance on Peterka, but the volume of calls has increased, and the amount of chatter around the league is growing louder. So why is he on the board? The Sabres haven’t done anything to shake up their team yet. He has significant value. He’s a pending RFA who will need a new contract, and oh by the way, he will potentially be an offer sheet target this summer.”
Seravalli’s reasoning for Peterka potentially being on the move makes a ton of sense on Buffalo’s end and it should be something that the Blackhawks get involved in as soon as the Sabres ease up on their “resistance” in trade talks surrounding him. He played in all 82 games for Buffalo a season ago and had 28 goals to pair with his 22 assists.
Peterka has picked up right where he left off a season ago and he already has more helpers in the campaign. Through 56 games, he has 17 goals and 28 assists and is more than on his way to have the most points in a season in his young career. He won’t be cheap for the Blackhawks front office by any means, but Peterka’s potential is worth whatever Buffalo is asking. Another playmaker alongside Bedard is never a bad thing in Chicago’s situation, and having a known commodity on the ice with the young phenom would be huge.
Why landing JJ Peterka will be difficult for the Chicago Blackhawks
Based on his value and production, Peterka will not come easy for Kyle Davidson’s group. There will be plenty of potential suitors knocking on Buffalo’s door to acquire him and it’s hard to say that the Blackhawks will offer Buffalo exactly what they are looking for.
It’s also worth noting that the Sabres may never back off on their resistance to move Peterka. If they really like him as much as they say they do and are willing to match whatever offer is thrown his way this summer, they could very easily hang onto him and roll with the punches.
Peterka would be an incredible get for the Blackhawks and he might be their most realistic young option to pick up on the trade market this week. Unlike other potential deals for Chicago, this one could actually be in their control in terms of what they bring to the table as long as Buffalo is willing to tango.
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