The Blackhawks and Rangers have swung a minor deal as Chicago has acquired center Peter Holland from New York. Heading the other way is defenseman Darren Raddysh. Both teams have announced the swap.
Holland was a first round pick (15th overall) of Anaheim back in 2009 but has not lived up to his draft billing. Instead, he has become somewhat of a journeyman in recent years as this will be the fifth organization he has been with since December of 2016. He has been quite productive at the AHL level in 2018-19, tallying 49 points (20-29-49) in 52 games which puts him in a tie for sixth overall in league scoring. He’ll head to AHL Rockford where he will serve as a potential call-up for Chicago down the stretch; he last saw NHL action last season when he suited up in 23 games with New York. Holland carries a cap hit of $675K and will be an unrestricted free agent in July.
As for Raddysh, he’s in the first season of a two-year, entry-level contract after the Blackhawks upgraded his AHL deal to an NHL one back in May. He was a dominant offensive presence with OHL Erie back in 2016-17 with 81 points (16-65-81) in just 62 games and while he hasn’t come close to those numbers in the minors, he’s in the midst of a decent season offensively with eight goals and 18 assists in 54 games with AHL Rockford this season. With Chicago having several quality defensive prospects that will be turning pro in the near future, Raddysh will likely have a better shot at making it to the NHL with the Rangers although he will remain at the minor league level for now.
I guess the Rangers are tanking in the AHL now too…
The Cup Is Ours said no one after this trade.