The Chicago Blackhawks acquired a defenseman today via the Nikita Zaitsev trade, and it seems they could soon match that deal by sending a blueliner out. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports that trade talks surrounding Blackhawks blueliner Jake McCabe have “heated up” and that it’s a “when not if he’s moved” scenario. We recently covered how multiple contenders have expressed interest in the 29-year-old, and how the asking price is said to be as much as a first-round pick.
Aiding the Blackhawks’ likelihood of receiving a first-round pick for McCabe is his contract, as well as their apparent willingness to sacrifice short-term cap space to add draft picks. McCabe is under contract through 2024-25 at a $4MM cap hit, but the Blackhawks could cut that hit in half and offer McCabe at $2MM to teams, should they elect to retain the maximum portion of his salary.
Adding McCabe at $2MM against the cap for this season and two more is an extremely attractive prospect for many defense-needy teams.
He’d be able to play reliable top-four minutes at a bargain price, and in today’s environment where cap space is at an absolute premium, that sort of surplus value will likely be highly coveted.
One of the main reasons the Tampa Bay Lightning paid first-round picks for players such as Barclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman was because those players were under cheap contracts with some term attached. If one uses the additional value those players were assigned due to their contracts to guide the appraisal of McCabe’s trade value, it seems clear that a first-round pick at the minimum would be a reasonable ask for the player with some retention.
David Savard and Ben Chiarot both net their club a first-round pick (and more) via a trade, so when one considers how well McCabe has been playing despite difficult circumstances and the surplus value he would offer at a $2MM cap hit for another two years, paying a first-rounder should be a no-brainer for a few interested teams.
While McCabe’s offensive production doesn’t jump off the page, he’s improved his numbers compared to last season. He’s averaging nearly 20 minutes a night and is a contributor to the Blackhawks’ penalty kill. He’ll be able to handle a similar role on a contending team, and he should be a name to monitor for both Blackhawks fans and fans of teams rumored to be interested in acquiring a defenseman.
Pictures courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
If they are willing to eat 50% of the contract for 3 years I think they get more than a 1st Rd pick. Edmonton should be all over this. McCabe to Edmonton at $2mil and Chicago get Puljujarvi, a 1st and 3rd
This is a good deal, but there’s a catch. From what I’ve heard, Jake has Edmonton on his partial NMC list. He could change his mind, but I’m not so sure.
Keep Jesse and just give the 1st and third and you might have a deal. Except McCabe won’t go there.
Edmonton can’t take on any money without sending money out. Even if McCabe waived his NMC to go there it can’t happen for just picks.
Why would Chicago take on 3 million from the oilers and retain Daley from McCabe – makes no sense to do that for a late 1st round pick
Retain salary not Daley
Is there a reason why he wouldn’t want to go to go to a Canadian team? I read in another post that is NMC is rough the same number of teams in Canada (this is all theory). I would assume it’s due to family and the hassle of going into and out of the country.
it’s likely the fact he has term so a trade to Canada likely means a full family move to Canada. That’s a lot for some guys.
According to Seravalli, the Maple Leafs are the only Canadian team not on McCabe’s no-trade-list.
The Hawks only had about 5 million bucks left on their cap so I wondered why they even bothered with Zaitsev. Then I remembered they put Toews on LTIR with his illness which was probably a compromise for him not to waive his no trade which would allow them to take on more money and keep him in Chicago for the rest of the year which they announced a few hours later. It was just the first domino to fall as more guys get dealt and the the cap gets bigger. Actually not a bad idea. If teams can use it to stack playoff rosters why not use LTIR to stack draft picks. The Hawks now have 3 2nd round picks and tons of draft capital to move up from T. Bays late first rounder into at least the middle of the first round.
Yes I think that’s a clever way to deal with the current CBA. Do I like that? Not so much. But it’s the same for every team at least.
McCabe & 50% retained To the Kings for Turcotte, conditional 3rd & Sean Walker.
Hawks could have drafted Turcotte, and passed on him for Dach. Why would they go back to that well when they traded away Dach who has been so much better than Turcotte in their careers. Retaining 50% for a 3rd, Walker, who they absolutely don’t need after Zaitsev and would impede Philips path, and Turcotte who looks like he has all the upside of a bottom 6 forward without the size. Hawks would get literally nothing of value back for McCabe in the trade.