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Montreal Canadiens Acquire Kirby Dach

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Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes has made his splash. The Canadiens have dealt defenseman Alexander Romanov and pick 98 to the New York Islanders for the 13th pick. They then sent  pick 13 and 66 to Chicago for center Kirby Dach.  The teams have all announced the trades.

This is an absolute whopper of a three-team deal. The Blackhawks, who already acquired a first-rounder earlier today, add a second top-fifteen pick in exchange for Dach, the third-overall pick in 2019. They also add the 66th pick as part of the deal as well. For Chicago, this is another move for Kyle Davidson in his quest to add more long-term future assets. Dach was a promising prospect but a mix of injuries and underperformance is what has led to this trade. The Blackhawks, who entered today with no first round picks, have now amassed a small stockpile of picks in very short order.

For the Islanders, GM Lou Lamoriello adds a young defenseman who plays the sort of highly physical, rugged game that the Islanders covet. Romanov, 22, was a second-rounder at the 2018 draft and already has 133 NHL games to his name. His offensive upside is still up for debate, but he has played an increasingly important role in Montreal and should step into the Islanders defense and play immediately. There were defensemen set to be available at thirteenth overall, but Lamoriello and the Islanders seemingly preferred a more NHL-ready option with that pick.

In Dach, the Canadiens add a player who only a few years ago was the third-overall pick. Dach is a big center who starred for the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL, scoring 72 points in 62 games in his final season there. Dach has struggled in the NHL, perhaps a signal that he should have spent more time developing in Saskatoon before making the transition to the professional game. Dach has 59 points in 152 games and it could be that a change of scenery is exactly what he needs to get his career back on track. It’s a major risk for the Canadiens, as they’re spending a top-fifteen pick on a player who has thus far struggled to be a difference-maker at the NHL level. That being said, if the Canadiens’ evaluation of Dach is correct, they could be adding the type of big, top-six center that is coveted by most GMs and unlikely to be available to them at pick 13.

Ottawa Senators Acquire Alex DeBrincat

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Just a few hours before the draft, we have a massive trade. The Ottawa Senators have announced that they are acquiring superstar winger Alex DeBrincat from the Chicago Blackhawks for the seventh-overall pick, the 39th overall pick, and a 2024 third-round pick.

As relayed by Mark Lazerus of The Athletic, Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson said the following regarding the deal:

It was an incredibly difficult decision to trade a player of Alex’s caliber. We feel as if this move sets the Blackhawks up for future success by giving us additional flexibility and future talent.

DeBrincat, 24, has one year remaining on his contract before he becomes a restricted free agent entitled to a $9MM qualifying offer. After that point, barring an extension, DeBrincat will become an unrestricted free agent. There is currently no word on any possible extension for DeBrincat, but one has to assume that the Senators will make every attempt to keep him in Ottawa beyond the two years of team control they have just acquired.

For the Senators, acquiring DeBrincat is a major coup as the team looks to escape their rebuild and finally return to contention. DeBrincat is a superstar forward in a relatively similar age range to the Senators’ other core pieces. He is close to the same age as Thomas Chabot and only a few years older than players such as Josh Norris and Brady Tkachuk. DeBrincat is an elite offensive player, having scored over 40 goals twice in his career, including this past season. His 78 points would have led the Senators in 2021-22, and the Senators have to be extremely excited about the possibility of DeBrincat playing with Tkachuk and Norris.

The contract situation is definitely something for Ottawa to monitor, as the Senators have had issues in the past with players not wanting to sign there long-term. But at the cost of their first-rounder, second-rounder, and a 2024 third, the chance to add a player of DeBrincat’s caliber for at least the next two years (and potentially longer) is definitely a risk worth taking.

For the Blackhawks, this trade is on one hand shocking and on the other wholly unsurprising. Davidson has made it no secret that he’d be stripping the roster bare in order to pursue a rebuild, and DeBrincat’s name had been floating in trade rumors for weeks. So the fact that he was ultimately dealt is not a surprise, especially when one considers the fact that the Blackhawks did not have a 2022 first-round pick until this trade. And having that seventh-overall pick is definitely a boon for a team looking to add more prospects to a depleted prospect pool.

That being said, there is a general sentiment that the return the Blackhawks received was a bit light when one takes into account DeBrincat’s age and talent level. A top-ten pick and a high second-rounder are two valuable assets, but only six players have scored more goals than DeBrincat over the last four years. He’s a superstar player who hasn’t even turned 25 years old. The last superstar-level player to be traded, Jack Eichel, net the Sabres a package that included NHL-ready talent such as Peyton Krebs and Alex Tuch as well as draft picks. While Eichel did have more years left on his contract, he also had some medical uncertainty, the kind of uncertainty the rarely-injured DeBrincat does not carry.

This trade is certainly going to be widely celebrated among Senators fans, but whether this trade is ultimately successful for Ottawa could depend on if they manage to sign DeBrincat to a long-term extension. For the Blackhawks, this trade is a major one, setting the tone for what could be a difficult few years as Davidson attempts to find the next set of core Blackhawks players. Finding one of those core players tonight, with the seventh-overall selection they just acquired, will be essential.

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff was first on the deal. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Dylan Strome Not Expected To Receive Qualifying Offer

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In the ongoing Chicago Blackhawks teardown, another young(ish) forward is about to walk out the door. Bob McKenzie of TSN reports that Dylan Strome is not expected to receive a qualifying offer next week, which would make him an unrestricted free agent. The deadline to submit qualifying offers is July 11.

For those who have watched Strome’s up-and-down tenure with the Blackhawks since arriving in 2018, this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. The team has been trying to trade the center for quite some time, even despite his strong offensive production in the back half of this season.

Strome, 25, would be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent if the Blackhawks did extend him the $3.6MM qualifying offer he would need, making him a pricey asset. That is the same number that any acquiring team would need to hand out, which may explain why no one would want to give up a prime asset for him at this point–especially knowing that Chicago will likely be walking away.

His addition to the free agent pool is interesting though, as Strome has always shown great offensive ability. Even this year, between stints in the press box as a healthy scratch, he managed to rack up 22 goals and 48 points in 69 games. It’s the rest of his game that has been criticized since he entered the league and the thing that has kept him from fulfilling the promise he once held as the third-overall pick in 2015. The Blackhawks basically refused to start him in the defensive zone this year, with only Patrick Kane and Erik Gustafsson receiving a higher percentage of offensive zone starts.

Still, for a team that is desperate for offense, there’s little doubt that he can provide it. In 225 games for Chicago, Strome racked up 60 goals and 154 points, an 82-game rate that would result in 22 goals and 56 points. In other situations, he might be looking at a long-term extension with a big dollar figure, instead of being cut loose without a qualifying offer.

Chicago Blackhawks Listening On Kirby Dach

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The Chicago Blackhawks are open to just about anything this offseason. Having already traded Brandon Hagel, they are now expected to move Alex DeBrincat at some point and are also listening to offers for Kirby Dach, according to Scott Powers of The Athletic. It would appear as though no player is safe, regardless of age or draft pedigree.

Dach, 21, was the third-overall pick just three years ago, selected behind Kaapo Kakko and ahead of Bowen Byram. The young center has gone through several injuries, leading to just 59 points in his first 152 games. This season was especially disappointing for Dach, who scored just nine goals and saw his ice time drop significantly by the end of the year.

Powers suggests that the Blackhawks are looking for a top-15 pick in any deal, as they continue to tear down the organization in one of the most dramatic rebuilds the league has seen in a while. Hagel (23), DeBrincat (24), and Dach would normally be considered the pieces to build around but general manager Kyle Davidson obviously has a different opinion, at least if he can get enough value back in trade.

There is certainly reason to be down on Dach, but for some teams, he might appear to be the perfect buy-low candidate. There is still real upside to his game, and as a restricted free agent without any arbitration rights, this summer is at the mercy of whatever team holds his rights. There is little leverage that Dach could use to land an expensive deal, meaning there is at least the opportunity–slim as it may be–for a huge amount of excess value as soon as next season.

For contending clubs and ones a little further along in their rebuild, that might be a very appealing prospect.

NHL Announces 2022-23 Regular Season Schedule

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The news continues to break during what’s been a busy pre-draft week. The NHL has released the full 82-game schedule for the 2022-23 campaign, marking a return to normal dates and length for the first time since 2018-19.

2022-23 will see its curtains open overseas, where the San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators will open the season at the O2 Arena in Prague, Czechia on October 7 and 8, 2022. The regular season will begin on the North American side of the Atlantic Ocean on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, with a classic doubleheader. The puck will drop at Madison Square Garden for an Eastern Conference Final rematch between the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers, followed by a Pacific Division showdown in Southern California between the Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings.

The Colorado Avalanche Stanley Cup banner-raising ceremony will be the following night at home against the Chicago Blackhawks. The season will wrap up on April 13, 2023.

Some key events throughout the season include the 2022 Global Series in Tampere, Finland, where the Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets will play a pair of games on November 4 and 5, 2022. The 2023 Discover NHL Winter Classic is slated for January 2, 2023, between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins at Fenway Park, and the 2023 NHL Stadium Series is set for February 18, 2023, in Raleigh, North Carolina, where the Hurricanes will host the Washington Capitals. All-Star Weekend will be February 3-4, 2023, hosted by the Florida Panthers.

More On Potential DeBrincat Trade

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As the 2022 NHL Draft approaches, many eyes are on the Chicago Blackhawks with speculation running rampant over the future of young sniper Alex DeBrincat. It’s not often that a player has two 40-goal seasons under his belt by the time he’s 24, even rarer for that player to be available in trade. With the Blackhawks starting a scorched earth rebuild in Chicago though, DeBrincat could find his way out the door.

Scott Powers and Mark Lazerus of The Athletic believe that the Blackhawks would pull the trigger on a DeBrincat deal if they received the right offer, and suggest that could be a top-10 pick and a quality prospect. That may seem like a disappointing return to fans who are hoping for a franchise-altering haul for their young star.

Latest On Kirby Dach

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  • The Chicago Blackhawks have made it no secret that they will be embarking on a scorched-earth rebuild under new GM Kyle Davidson. Nearly every player on their roster has seen his name surface in trade rumors, including star winger Alex DeBrincat. One player less frequently mentioned is 2019 third-overall pick Kirby Dach, likely because as a 21-year-old highly-drafted center most believe that Dach is the player a rebuilding club should hold on to, not deal. But per Friedman, a Dach trade might not be fully out of the question, and there is reportedly “a lot of research being done” on Dach by teams interested in acquiring him. Dach, who is still just 21 years old, has had an up-and-down NHL career thus far. He showed flashes in an injury-filled 2020-21, scoring 10 points in 18 games, but his past year was a disappointment (nine goals 26 points in 70 games) and there are some who look at him as a player in need of a change of scenery. Whether or not that’s true is still yet to be determined, although we now know that there are teams preparing for the possibility of Dach becoming available in a trade.

Blackhawks Turn Down Two First-Rounders And A Prospect For DeBrincat

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If the Blackhawks are going to move Alex DeBrincat this summer, it’s going to take a sizable haul to get him.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman notes in the latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link) that Chicago is believed to have recently turned down a package that would have yielded a high first-round pick in next week’s draft, another first-round selection, and a prospect for the 24-year-old but GM Kyle Davidson felt it wasn’t enough.  DeBrincat is coming off a 41-goal, 78-point season and has one year left on his current deal with a $6.4MM AAV but will be owed a $9MM qualifying offer next summer which is something that acquiring teams will need to budget around.  Meanwhile, with the Blackhawks squarely in a rebuild now, the time might be right to sell high on their star winger and they have justifiably set a high asking price for his services.

Blackhawks Hoping To Keep Derek King

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  • While Derek King is no longer Chicago’s head coach following the hiring of Luke Richardson, GM Kyle Davidson told reporters, including Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times, that the Blackhawks are looking to retain King in a yet-to-be-determined role. It’s possible that King goes back to AHL Rockford which is where he was before he was called on to replace Jeremy Colliton while he also could become an assistant on Richardson’s staff or transition into a role in their front office.

Jim Pappin Passes Away At 82

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Former Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks forward Jim Pappin has passed away at the age of 82, the Maple Leafs announced. The club’s statement read:

A two-time Stanley Cup champion, Pappin played parts of five seasons in Toronto, scoring 54 goals with 46 assists in 223 regular season games. Somewhat of a late-bloomer, Pappin didn’t make his NHL debut until the 1963-63 season, when he was 24. Successful as Pappin’s Toronto career was, given the two Stanley Cups, his career would take off dramatically after a trade to the Chicago Blackhawks in 1968. The veteran, now 29, put up 70 points in 75 games in his first season with Chicago, more than doubling his previous best of 32. He would remain an elite point-producer with the Blackhawks, culminating in a career-best 41 goals and 51 assists in 1972-73.

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