Grading The Blackhawks Trade Deadline

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Sam Walker
March 23, 2022 (11:15)

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The trade deadline has come and gone and the Blackhawks made a few moves to kick start the rebuild. New general manager Kyle Davidson made it clear when he was announced as the GM that this was going to be a rebuild. Because of that, it came as no surprise that the Blackhawks were active at the deadline. So let's take a look at the moves made by the Blackhawks.

Brandon Hagel traded to Tampa Bay- Grade: A
This move was a hard pill for many Blackhawks fans to swallow. Brandon Hagel had become a fan favorite in Chicago for his hard and gritty style of play. And without a doubt, he will be missed. However, for what the Blackhawks were able to get in return, that is simply an offer that cannot be refused. As unfortunate as it seems, this is how rebuilds work. And it is unrealistic to expect that kind of return and not give something of value. So for the position that the Blackhawks are in, this was 100% a the right move.

Marc-Andre Fleury traded to Minnesota- Grade: A-
It was no secret the Blackhawks were looking to trade Fleury. The question leading up to the deadline was where? It was publicly known that he had teams that he would approve a trade for and teams that he would not. So that gave Kyle Davidson very little to work with, especially

when pretty much everyone knows that he was going to ask for a first round pick. Minnesota ended up being the destination with the Blackhawks receiving a conditional 2nd round pick in return. A pick that will become a 1st round pick if Fleury gets 4 wins in the playoffs and the Wild reach the Western Conference Finals. So Blackhawks fans need to back the Wild this year during the playoffs. At least until the Western Conference Finals.

Ryan Carpenter traded to Calgary- Grade: B-
In what ended up being the final move for the Blackhawks at the deadline, Ryan Carpenter was traded to the Calgary Flames for a 2024 5th round pick. Can't really expect much more in return for a guy like Carpenter. Seems strange that the Blackhawks were unable to get anything sooner than the 2024 draft, but other than that, probably a good move for both teams involved.

Overall Grade: B+
By no means was this a «memorable» trade deadline for the Blackhawks. The burning question here is why are Calvin de Haan and Dominik Kubalik still on the team? Kyle Davidson, when he was introduced as GM, expressed his desire to build through the draft. And while he did go out and get draft picks, there are two more assets in de Haan and Kubalik that he could have used to get even more draft picks. Seems very hard to believe there was not a team out there willing to give out at least a 4th round pick for either player. One could even argue they would be worth a 3rd round pick. Either way, just kind of a let-down after so much talk about building through the draft and being active at the deadline. But one thing is for sure, the rebuild is officially on, and only time will tell if these trades were a good move or not.

-Michael Wilson