Blackhawks center Jason Dickinson is prepared for possible trade: ‘My game is well-built for playoffs’
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Jason Dickinson felt the absence of just-traded defenseman Connor Murphy across the Blackhawks on Tuesday morning.
“It feels weird,” the veteran center stated. “The presence of him was hard to quantify because he was just so steady and so reliable in so many ways — not just on the ice but as a leader in the room. You could always look at Murph.”
Dickinson additionally felt the highlight of commerce hypothesis shifting from Murphy to himself.
Two days from the NHL commerce deadline Friday, Hawks basic supervisor Kyle Davidson is possible exploring the market for Dickinson and Ilya Mikheyev, forwards whose defensive acumen may attraction to playoff contenders.
Davidson is aware of he must liberate roster spots for prospects coming into the league. Dickinson knows Davidson knows that.
“It’s been on the radar for the better part of a month now,” Dickinson stated. “Everybody is obviously wondering about the situation, given that I have an expiring contract. It’s a natural progression in the league.
“Whether one thing is going to occur or not, I really do not know. But I do know Kyle shall be clear and upfront with me when one thing does come to him or in the event that they’re pursuing one thing. He’s been nothing however world-class with me. The subsequent three days may very well be attention-grabbing.”
Dickinson has been traded twice before — from the Stars to the Canucks in July 2021 and from the Canucks to the Hawks in October 2022 — but never at the deadline. It’s a new experience for him, trying to compartmentalize uncertainty about the future while still regularly playing games.
If he does get dealt with, Tuesday night’s game against the Jets will have been his final appearance as a Hawk.
“[Dickinson is] a great human, really even-keeled, got a great head on his shoulders, very self-accountable, looks in the mirror every day and wants to better himself,” coach Jeff Blashill stated. “He’s been a really good piece for us. We’ll see what happens. I have no control over that, and neither does he.
“I wish we were 10 points [into a playoff spot]. If we were 10 points in, we wouldn’t have to talk about this stuff. But that’s the goal next year.”
Dickinson wishes the same. It’s hard for him to believe he hasn’t been in the playoffs since 2019 and 2020, his first two full NHL seasons.
A silver lining of getting traded — just like it is for Murphy now with the Oilers — is the possibly of ending that drought.
“I had older guys [with the Stars] tell me, ‘Savor it, because you may never get this chance again,’” Dickinson said. “I didn’t believe them at the time. Here I am, six years later, and I haven’t seen the playoffs since.
“You have to savor those moments because the playoffs are [expletive] hard to get into, and winning a round is really hard to do. When you get the opportunity, appreciate it and realize what you just accomplished. So, if I got the chance, I would be more than thrilled.”
The Kings are one team to watch for interest. They have closely scouted the Hawks, and Davidson reportedly attended the Kings-Avalanche game Monday in Los Angeles.
They’re far from assured to make the playoffs, but it would make sense to try to make a push in Anze Kopitar’s final season, especially after acquiring Artemi Panarin. Injuries to Kevin Fiala and Andrei Kuzmenko have depleted their forward depth.
The Wild and Hurricanes are two other teams potentially seeking help at center.
“I think my game is well-built for playoffs,” Dickinson reasoned. “It’s easy. It’s direct. Teams can need one thing like that to bolster depth and provides them energy on the [penalty kill] as an alternative of big-fish looking for a dynamic participant.”
The Hawks’ agonizing 3-2 defeat Tuesday marked the ninth time this season they’ve conceded a game-tying or game-winning purpose within the final 4 minutes of the third interval.
Murphy now has an excellent likelihood to compete within the playoffs for the primary time, whereas the Hawks ought to be happy with the return of a second-round draft choose.
