from Tim Sassone of the Chicago Daily-Herald,

A source confirmed to the Daily Herald on Saturday that the Blackhawks and Islanders have been talking multiplayer trade with the centerpiece of the deal being New York center Frans Nielsen....

According to the source, the Hawks are seeking help on defense because they are nervous about going into the playoffs with Johnny Oduya as their fourth defenseman.

Oduya is minus-8 in the last four games paired with Niklas Hjalmarsson. The Hawks have lost three of those four games.

The Hawks may be shifting their attention to Islanders defenseman Mark Streit, a power-play specialist who will be an unrestricted free agent after the season. Streit has a cap hit of $4.1 million.

The Islanders are said to covet Rockford defenseman Dylan Olsen, the Hawks' first-round draft pick in 2009, and perhaps forward Jeremy Morin.

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