Blackhawks Motivated to Avoid Another Deadline Sell-Off

Losing teammates and leaders is a 'wake-up call' for the young core to get the team back into playoff contention.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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The Chicago Blackhawks have traded away several key players, including captain Nick Foligno and alternate captains Connor Murphy and Jason Dickinson, ahead of the NHL trade deadline. While the moves were necessary from a management standpoint, the team's young stars like Connor Bedard are determined to ensure this is the last time the Blackhawks have to go through a deadline sell-off, motivated to get the team back into playoff contention next season.

Why it matters

The Blackhawks' repeated deadline trades of veteran players have been tough on the team's young core, who are tired of seeing their teammates and leaders leave. This year's moves serve as a 'wake-up call' for the young players to step up and ensure the team is competitive enough to avoid being in this position again in the future.

The details

In the span of a week, the Blackhawks traded away their entire leadership group - captain Nick Foligno and alternate captains Connor Murphy and Jason Dickinson. The team's young stars like Connor Bedard, Ryan Greene and Colton Dach, who were recently vacationing together, are now dealing with the loss of their friends and teammates. While the trades make sense from a management perspective, the players are determined to ensure this is the last time the Blackhawks have to go through this process.

  • Two weeks ago, Bedard, Greene and Dach were vacationing together in Mexico during the Olympics.
  • On March 5, 2026, the Blackhawks traded Dach and Dickinson to the Oilers, joining Murphy who was traded earlier.

The players

Connor Bedard

A young Blackhawks forward who is part of the team's core group of players.

Nick Foligno

The Blackhawks' captain, who may be traded before the deadline and is speaking in the past tense about his role.

Connor Murphy

An alternate captain for the Blackhawks who was traded earlier in the week.

Jason Dickinson

An alternate captain for the Blackhawks who was traded to the Oilers along with Colton Dach.

Colton Dach

A Blackhawks forward who was traded to the Oilers along with Jason Dickinson.

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What they’re saying

“We were talking about, 'After we win the [Stanley] Cup, we're going to go back,'”

— Connor Bedard (suntimes.com)

“It's motivating that this is the last year that we're in a spot where we're moving guys that help us win. That's a [expletive] feeling. [We'll] just try to not let that happen [again].”

— Connor Bedard (suntimes.com)

“This is the tough part of the season, right? These are the emotions and feelings you have when you lose some really good people. You don't want to be in this spot too many times.”

— Nick Foligno, Blackhawks Captain (suntimes.com)

“That's probably the message that's been heard the loudest the last few days here from the group. I think they're getting tired of being in this spot. So hopefully it's a motivating factor for years to come.”

— Nick Foligno, Blackhawks Captain (suntimes.com)

“It's been an absolute honor to be the captain here, so I'm still fully committed to that until told otherwise. But there's a competitor inside you, too, that wants to be playing meaningful games.”

— Nick Foligno, Blackhawks Captain (suntimes.com)

What’s next

If Nick Foligno is traded before the deadline, the Blackhawks will need to decide who will inherit the team's leadership roles and letters.

The takeaway

The Blackhawks' young core is determined to ensure this year's deadline sell-off is the last time the team has to go through this process, motivated to get the team back into playoff contention next season and avoid being in this difficult position again.