The Blackhawks are adding to their early season trade block with reports that the club is shopping Andrew Shaw's contract, which currently sits on LTIR.
As the calendar flips to October, the NHL season is less than two weeks away for the Blackhawks. In front of them tonight is a preseason game against the St. Louis Blues.
• It’s not at all hard for me to imagine Willson Contreras sliding into the top spot by September if the framing improvements hold (or improve further!) and the bat does what it does. I wouldn’t say it’s likely, because Realmuto and Grandal are studs, but it’s certainly not inconceivable (he’s 28, and they are 30 and 32, respectively, for what that’s worth). Having Smith there at three is based on a lot of projection for the young chap, but man, he sure does seem like he’s going to be a stud. Maybe he’s the top guy by the end of the year.