NHL Trade Deadline: Oilers should pursue Blackhawks’ Dominik Kubalik

Photo Courtesy of Jonathan Daniel via Getty Images Sport

As the new year approaches, the Chicago Blackhawks appear to be sellers at this point in the season, sitting in seventh place in the Central Division and 10 points out of the playoff picture in the Western Conference.

Since beginning the season 1-9-2 under former head coach Jeremy Colliton, the Blackhawks have gone 10-6-2 under interim head coach Derek King. While Chicago has gradually resurrected their season to an 11-15-4 record in the formidable Central Division, the Blackhawks have been wildly inconsistent on both sides of the puck.

Chicago came into the season with playoff expectations due to their offseason signing splashes intended to capitalize on the remaining years of the Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane era. The Blackhawks traded for a legitimate number one defenseman in Seth Jones, last year’s Vezina Trophy Winner in Marc-Andre Fleury and two-time Stanley Cup Champion Tyler Johnson, along with other moves.

However, with Chicago’s playoff hopes fading, it’s time to look at which players’ stints in the Windy City are up as the trade deadline looms.

With the inevitable rumors circulating Marc-Andre Fleury being the answer in net for the Edmonton Oilers, the need for another scoring threat come postseason has been overlooked.

Acquiring left winger Dominik Kubalik, a player who has been known to score and generate scoring opportunities to a lineup that boasts high-caliber talent like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, could be the ingredient to winning the Stanley Cup.

Meanwhile, by moving on from Kubalik, the Blackhawks will have an open roster spot — providing them a glimpse of what the future of their organization looks like by giving prospects like Lukas Reichel or youngsters like Josiah Slavin more ice time.

With young pieces to build around Alex DeBrincat, Brandon Hagel and Seth Jones, it’s normal to see a rebuilding team move on from a player with an expiring contract that can bring in a good return for the future.

Also, Kubalik could use a change in scenery considering his lack of ice time in Chicago, which has contributed to only six goals in 30 games. While Kubalik has to improve his 5-on-5 production, he stands a better chance of doing so beside an elite centerman on the Oilers than the third line of the Blackhawks.

By landing in Edmonton, Kubalik would be put in a position to succeed due to the amount of high-level talent he would be surrounded by, along with an increase in ice time.

Since Kubalik can play both wings, the Oilers could place him on the second line and demote Kailer Yamamoto to the third line due to his recent struggles with getting pucks on net. With Kubalik playing alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Draisaitl, his scoring opportunities will elevate and add more speed to the line.

With Yamamoto’s addition to a line that consists of Warren Foegele and Ryan McLeod, the Oilers gain another high-energy line that consists of speed, poise and sufficient puck handling.

The Oilers and Blackhawks are familiar with one another when it comes to making deals. Over this past offseason, Oilers’ general manager Ken Holland acquired veteran defenseman Duncan Keith and Tim Soderlund for Caleb Jones and a conditional 2022 third-round pick.

In his third season in the NHL, Kubalik is averaging slightly below 30 goals per season if he were to play a full 82-game schedule. Kubalik scored 30 goals in his rookie season in 68 games and 17 in just 56 games last season.

Kubalik generates numerous scoring opportunities and shoots the puck a lot, elements the Oilers have been lacking as they attempt to break out of a scoring slump. Besides Kubalik’s offensive prowess, his ability to stay healthy is an underrated aspect of what he would bring to the Oilers and their path to the Stanley Cup.

The Oilers find themselves in the playoff mix at this stage of the regular season, but their record has arguably fallen short of expectations heading into the year. Acquiring another offensive threat like Kubalik could be just what they need to make a run toward the postseason, and the Blackhawks find themselves in a perfect position to deal him in order to build towards the future.