The Chicago Blackhawks are in an odd spot with the NHL trade deadline approaching on Feb. 25. They’re only three points out of a playoff spot and just five points off the bottom of the Western Conference, and the internal debate is over whether they should be buying or selling. The fact that they’re involved in the playoff discussion at all is more a byproduct of the jumbled West than anything else, but you can’t blame the organization for thinking that if they can get into the postseason they have a chance. Even if all the metrics and the general composition of the Blackhawks roster tells us otherwise. __Play to win:__ [Enter our free contest to win BetChicago prize packs and even cash!](https://betchicago.chalkline.com/) So now the Blackhawks have to walk a fine line, doing everything they can to earn a seat at the playoff table to preserve anything that might be left of their title window and doing it without damaging the franchise long-term. Because of that, the best course of action might be to do nothing at all. Of course, in an ideal world, you’d pull off a move that serves both your short-term and long-term needs, but that’s like threading a needle with barbed wire. At the moment, it appears the Blackhawks are choosing to play it safe and standing pat. They don’t appear to be willing to deal prospects or draft assets to buy and they don’t have many assets to move if they’re selling. They’re apparently [willing to listen](https://theathletic.com/773095/2019/02/16/the-athletics-2019-nhl-trade-deadline-tracker/) for offers on Artem Anisimov, but there isn’t a lot of urgency there. He’s under contract through 2021 and his modified no-trade clause opens up their trade options for him during the offseason. They’d also move veterans on expiring contracts like Marcus Kruger or Chris Kunitz if somebody came calling. Kunitz hasn’t played much and doesn’t have much value outside of the leadership he brings to the table. Kruger can kill penalties off and that might be alluring to somebody, but the Blackhawks don’t have another center they appear eager to fill his place with anyway. __More:__ [Blackhawks see Stanley Cup futures odds cut in half](https://www.betchicago.com/blackhawks-stanley-cup-odds-cut-in-half-amid-win-streak) The only real way for them to buy would be to continue doing what they’ve done so far this trade season by seeking out discarded prospects who might be able to revitalize their careers or recreate themselves altogether. It worked out well for the Blackhawks with Dylan Strome and the early returns on Slate Koekkoek have been good. That being said, there’s never a guarantee that those types of deal pay off at all and Strome jumping in to make huge immediate contributions is a rare occurrence and we can’t forget that the move also came with considerable risk because Nick Schmaltz had actually shown top-six potential. It’s possible that the Blackhawks ship off a mid- or late-round pick to add grab another forward prospect they can breathe life into. They’d love to do the same on the blue line, but they’re already dealing with a logjam there and probably don’t have the luxury of further complicating things at the position. Outside of that, there’s just not a lot for the Blackhawks to do but wait. It might be unsatisfying to fans who are hoping to see them prop the window open for one more run and anticlimactic for fans who thought they [should have sold](https://www.betchicago.com/chicago-blackhawks-solutions-oriented-second-half) off everything they could six weeks ago. But when you’re walking a tightrope like the Blackhawks are right now, sometimes all you can do is keep the momentum moving forward. __Read on:__ [More NHL coverage from BetChicago](https://www.betchicago.com/nhl-betting)