Much of the trade chatter around the Chicago Blackhawks in recent weeks has been forward-focused, with multiple reports from the likes of Chris Johnston and Elliotte Friedman claiming GM Kyle Davidson is actively scouring the market for more offensive support.

Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli was the first to break the news on Oct. 27, saying Davidson is pursuing a “shoot-first, scoring winger with size”. But that’s not all that Davidson is phoning other NHL general managers about.

Seravalli was back on Chicago Sports Network’s pregame show before Thursday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, which resulted in a much-needed 3-2 overtime win for the Blackhawks, snapping a six-game losing streak.

According to Seravalli, the Blackhawks have realized their young defensive group, with grizzled veteran Ian Cole as the lone member older than 25, are in over their heads. The Hawks are currently ranked 30th in the NHL in shots on goal allowed per game and 31st in goals against per game (4.11).

Seravalli reported that Davidson is trying to add a veteran defenseman to the group, not only to support them now, but also for the future. He’s not looking for a temporary fix, instead, another significant addition, “more along the lines of a Bowen Byram-type acquisition”.

The latest update on the Blackhawks trade desires isn’t too surprising, considering Davidson basically hinted he’s not only looking to add up front during his state-of-the-union press conference on Wednesday.

When addressing the glaring defensive issues, Davidson said the front office perhaps “miscalculated” on how the team would look defensively if one of their few veterans, like No. 1 defenseman Bowen Byram, were to go down with an injury.

“Could we have benefited from one more veteran? It’s very possible we may have,” Davidson said during his media availability. “That’s part of the evaluation process and honest candor that we’re having internally.”

Byram’s absence has certainly played a factor in the Blackhawks’ blue line woes, but it still feels like they need one more reliable defenseman to round out the group. Cole has been serviceable in a top-pairing role without Byram, but the team would prefer him playing the more natural third-pairing role Davidson signed him to fill.

Particularly, the Hawks could use more help on the right-hand side. One lesser-discussed effect from the Byram trade this past summer was sending six-foot-eight right-handed shot Louis Crevier to the Buffalo Sabres in the deal. Without Crevier, 21-year-old Artyom Levshunov and 22-year-old Sam Rinzel are the only two righties left in the organization currently at the pro level.

The Rockford IceHogs currently don’t have a single right-handed defenseman on the AHL roster. Meanwhile, Cole has been playing his off-side most nights since Byram got injured on Oct. 13.

As Seravalli mentioned, acquiring a Byram-like defenseman in terms of impact is easier said than done this time of year. Davidson recognizes that and isn’t rushing to get a deal done, but knows he must give his young defensive corps more help eventually.

Potential Trade Targets

Most of the names rumored to be available early this season are forwards, but there’s one legitimate top-four defenseman who’s name keeps popping up on trade boards, and that’s Calgary Flames right-hander Zach Whitecloud.

Outside of Erik Karlsson, who’s too old to fit what Davidson is looking for, Whitecloud is the clear-cut top right-handed defenseman on the trade block. The 30-year-old has played consistent top-four minutes with the Flames since being traded by the Vegas Golden Knights in the middle of last season and is sound penalty-killer and stay-at-home defender.

Whitecloud, at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds would bring some needed size and strength to the Blackhawks blue line and comes with 418 games of NHL experience. He’s also played in 78 career postseason games and helped the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup in 2022-23.

While not much of an offensive threat, with 19 points being his career-high, the Blackhawks already have offensive-minded right-handers in Levshunov and Rinzel. Davidson is presumably searching for a defense-first addition anyway, and Whitecloud fits that mold. He’d give the team another defensive-zone shutdown option and can help the Hawks be harder to play against.

Whitecloud would be a solid veteran addition, but still only 29, he also fits as a potential long-term solution. However, he’d need a new contract for that to happen, as he’s signed through 2027-28 with a very reasonable $2.75 million cap hit. Davidson would presumably want Whitecloud to sign an extension if he’s sending top assets to Calgary.

The Flames reportedly aren’t desperate to trade Whitecloud by any means, but should they remain near the bottom of the standings as the season progresses, the odds of a deal happening will increase. Whitecloud makes a lot of sense for the Blackhawks current needs, but they might have to sweeten the pot for the Flames to finalize a trade.

Some other right-handed defenseman speculated to be on the trade block are Scott Mayfield (NYI), Justin Faulk (DET), and Rasmus Ristolainen (PHI), but considering all three players are in their mid-30s, they don’t necessarily fit what Davidson is searching for.

Two other targets who might not necessarily be available but are worth monitoring are Jalen Chatfield (CAR) and Braden Schneider (NYR). Neither aren’t quite Byram-like additions, but that type of defenseman might not be available for Davidson. Both Chatfield and Schneider aren’t as exciting but make sense for the Blackhawks’ current needs.

Chatfield, 30, is set to become an unrestricted free-agent next July after failing to reach an extension with the Carolina Hurricanes this past summer. The Hurricanes have five expiring contracts among their defensive corps, including Alexander Nikishin, so some tough decisions must be made, which could lead to Chatfield becoming available.

Like Whitecloud, Chatfield would bring Stanley Cup championship experience to Chicago’s defensive unit and make the team tougher to play against. Chatfield isn’t the most physical defenseman, but at 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, he’s another big body who plays winning hockey. The former undrafted free agent has also taken on a larger role in Carolina in recent years, averaging over 20 minutes per game as a shutdown defender in 2025-26 and so far this season.

Schneider, 25, was selected 19th overall by the New York Rangers in 2020 and has been a staple of the NHL roster since 2022-23. The 6-foot-3, 216-pound defenseman was rumored to be available this past offseason but ended up signing a one-year extension to remain with New York.

With at least 145 hits in each of his four full NHL seasons, Schneider plays with an edge and uses size to his advantage. The Blackhawks could use some of that, with arguably the most un-physical blue line in the league.

Schneider has been a go-to shutdown defender for the Rangers in the last three seasons, with over 65 percent of his zone starts coming in his own end. His role progressed notably in 2025-26, averaging over 20 minutes per game for the first time in his career.

Similarly to Chatfield, Schneider’s contract situation could make him available this season, although the Rangers presumably would prefer not to trade him. He’ll still only be a restricted free agent next summer, although with arbitration rights.

Regardless, Schneider’s age, defense-first mentality, and willingness to be physical all should be attractive to the Blackhawks considering their defensive needs.