Chicago Blackhawks Rumors: Asking Price For Patrick Sharp Is Way Too High

News broke today that the Chicago Blackhawks are looking to trade Patrick Sharp. This isn’t shocking considering their current cap situation, but what is surprising is the asking price that is being rumored. Apparently, the Blackhawks want a first-round pick, an A-level prospect and a top-six forward on an entry-level contract. So they want a player who is just as good as Sharp but younger and cheaper as well as two more valuable pieces.

If you don’t know what this price entails, let me make some examples. From the San Jose Sharks, the return would include the No. 9 overall pick, Nikolay Goldobin and Matt Nieto which is a massive chunk of the future for a decent but aging winger. From the Vancouver Canucks you can expect a package like Jake Virtanen, Bo Horvat and a first-round pick. As you can see, this type of package is not something that any team would be willing to give up.

There is an argument here regarding the asking price because when starting an auction like this, teams should start the selling price as high as possible. That is on the off chance that a team is stupid enough to trade away this kind of package. If not, the Blackhawks could lower the price to a more reasonable package.

But the reality of the situation is, NHL teams have noticed that the Blackhawks are in an interesting cap situation and have to get rid of players like Sharp. After all, they still have to sign players like Brandon Saad, Johnny Oduya, Brad Richards and Marcus Kruger. With their limited amount of cap space, the Blackhawks have no leverage in trade talks involving Sharp.

I understand that teams should always sell high on their assets. But even during the initial stages of a negotiation, there comes a point where the asking price is just absurd.