Kubalik is 26 — young enough to be in his prime but too old to withstand the Blackhawks’ upcoming rebuild.
Set to his the free agent market in five months, the Hawks might as well get something for their expiring asset, with reports indicating that the Edmonton Oilers are in hot pursuit of Kubalik as the deadline nears.
PK Subban is miles — lightyears, even — from the player he once was.
The sticking point, of course, is his contract.
Kessel already has two Cups, so it’s not like he needs one last shot at a ring as his career winds down.
Head coach Andre Tourigny recently told reporters that Kessel is perhaps the most popular player in the room.
Boeser has all the potential in the world, hence why those outside of Vancouver tend to believe he’s produced more than he actually has.
It would be one of the bigger surprises of deadline day, but Boeser getting shipped out of town wouldn’t be unthinkable, either.
But Chara is still a skyscraper on skates with championship pedigree and the reputation as one of the best leaders in hockey.
Not to mention, Chara helped deal the Maple Leafs the blow that their franchise has yet to recover from nearly a decade later.
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