Grading The Alex DeBrincat Trade
The 2022 NHL Draft will go down as one of the most franchise altering nights in Blackhawk history. The Blackhawks put the rebuild mode on the max setting by making two massive trades on draft night. One of those trades, in which Alex DeBrincat was sent to the Ottawa Senators, was without a doubt the worst move by new GM Kyle Davidson thus far.
Trade grade: F
The Blackhawks got absolutely fleeced in this trade, no other way to put it. The fact that the Blackhawks were only able to get what they got in return is genuinely confusing. It was rumored for weeks leading up to the draft that the New Jersey Devils were offering the 2nd overall pick plus prospects for DeBrincat. Does not take a genius to realize which one of those is a better trade.
What really doesn't make sense is this trade really goes against everything Kyle Davidson has said regarding trades up to this point. When he made the Brandon Hagel trade at the deadline, he said it was a tough decision, but ultimately the offer was too good to refuse. If he had that same mindset when trading DeBrincat (which he REALLY should have), this was 100% an offer to refuse. It just simply isn't enough for a quality player like DeBrincat, who is coming off a career high season in goals. It really did seem like the cat was the guy to have this rebuild around, but for whatever reason, Kyle Davidson had a different vision.
To make this sting even worse, the Canadiens shocked most of the hockey world by passing on Shane Wright with the first overall pick and going with Juraj Slafkovsky instead. Meaning had the Blackhawks accepted the New Jersey offer instead, Shane Wright would be a Chicago Blackhawk.
At the end of the day, the picks themselves on night one weren't bad at all. Kevin Korchinski, Frank Nazar, and Sam Rinzel are all solid players. It's just that this trade was so bad, it overshadows everything the Blackhawks have done this draft night.
Take a look at some of The Cat's best moments with the Blackhawks:
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