The Chicago Blackhawks were busy sellers leading up to the March 7 NHL trade deadline.
Since Jan. 24, they have sent Taylor Hall to the Carolina Hurricanes as part of the three-team deal involving Mikko Rantanen’s ill-fated move to the Hurricanes. They also shipped Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers in a multi-player move and dealt Petr Mrazek and Craig Smith to the Detroit Red Wings for Joe Veleno.
Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno told reporters the team is more cohesive after trading away “some distractions.”
Following the trade deadline, GM Kyle Davidson told the media it was time to shift from making moves for draft picks and prospects for deals that bring in players. He didn’t rule out drawing on his stockpile of picks to swing a major trade during the off-season.
Davidson spent the past two seasons adding veterans via trades and free agency, but most were past their prime. What the Blackhawks need are players in their twenties who are also in their playing prime, including a winger who can play alongside young franchise center Connor Bedard.
Turning to the Montreal Canadiens, GM Kent Hughes made no moves during the trade deadline. He said he wasn’t worried about losing David Savard, Joel Armia and Christian Dvorak to free agency this summer, saying he felt it was best to keep them so his younger players could lean on their experience and leadership as they jockey for a wild-card berth down the stretch.
Hughes didn’t attempt to shop for a second-line center to replace the sidelined Kirby Dach, saying the trade deadline wasn’t necessarily the best time to fill that position. He said he spoke with other GMs to “spitball” some ideas, including those involving players who didn’t appear in the rumor mill before the trade deadline.
Dach’s injury history makes finding a second-line center a priority this summer for Hughes. He could go the free-agent route, but it’s likelier he’ll attempt to address that issue in the trade market, finding a player in his mid to late twenties who could fit into the Canadiens’ long-term plans.
