The Chicago Blackhawks enter the 2026-27 season with a 3-6-0 record after nine games, placing them last in the Central Division with six points.
General manager Kyle Davidson’s rebuild continues amid early struggles, including a minus-15 goal differential and rankings near the bottom of the league in both goals scored and allowed.
If the Blackhawks remain near the bottom of the standings as the trade deadline approaches, the organization could look to move pending unrestricted free agents to open roster spots for younger prospects.
One name already drawing attention is veteran forward Teuvo Teravainen.
Scott Powers of The Athletic identified Teravainen as Chicago’s top under-the-radar trade candidate for the season.
“The Blackhawks aren’t likely to make many moves other than potentially trading their 2027 first-round picks, but Teravainen could be a trade candidate. He’s on an expiring contract and began the season as a healthy scratch,” Powers wrote.
Teravainen, 32, carries a $5.4 million cap hit on the final year of a three-year deal signed in July 2024. He holds an eight-team no-trade list, though the Blackhawks could retain salary to facilitate a deal.
He sat out the season opener in Las Vegas as a healthy scratch before entering the lineup. Through seven games he has two goals and three assists for five points with a plus-2 rating while averaging 14:40 of ice time.
That production marks a bounce-back from his 2025-26 campaign, when he recorded 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points in 75 games.
One season earlier, in 2024-25, Teravainen posted 15 goals and 43 assists for 58 points in a full 82-game schedule.
The Finnish winger was originally drafted by Chicago in the first round in 2012 and won the Stanley Cup with the club in 2015 before spending eight seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Across 834 career games he has tallied 186 goals and 371 assists for 557 points.
Contending teams seeking secondary scoring or a skilled playmaking winger could show interest if Teravainen remains productive and Chicago falls further out of the playoff race.
Whether a market develops remains uncertain given the size of his contract relative to recent output and the presence of his partial no-trade protection.
Chicago’s decision will also hinge on its own trajectory. A climb into contention by March would likely keep Teravainen in the fold for the remainder of the season.
The trade deadline is still months away, leaving time for both player and team performance to shape the outcome.
