We were told throughout this season that it would be a quiet trade deadline for the Blackhawks, but we didn’t expect things to be this quiet.
The NHL trade deadline came and went Friday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. CST, and the Blackhawks didn’t end up making a single deal throughout the day. Yesterday’s “blockbuster” occurred when GM Kyle Davidson shipped forward Anthony Beauvillier to Nashville in exchange for a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft. When the Blackhawks struggled to field a lineup at the end of November, Beauviller was acquired for a fifth-round pick, so the trade completes an “interest-free loan” of sorts.
Even with potential trade chips like Colin Blackwell and Tyler Johnson on the roster, though, Davidson and his staff didn’t make another move, despite a busy deadline around the league. Household names like Matt Dumba, Adam Henrique, Vladimir Tarasenko, Jake Guentzel, and more were shuffled to new rosters.
After the deadline had passed, Davidson mentioned that he was just as busy this year as in the hectic years past, even if deals never materialized. He and head coach Luke Richardson ensured they weren’t “making a deal just to make a deal”, and the league’s demand for depth forwards never came to fruition. Instead of shipping valuable players like Blackwell and Johnson off for a single late-round pick, it was decided they were better suited playing out the last month of their contracts.
Although they didn’t make any official trades, the Blackhawks were still busy in the personnel department Friday. The most notable transaction came when the Ottawa Senators claimed bottom-six forward Boris Katchouk off waivers. He had been placed there for the purpose of being sent to Rockford so that he was eligible for the playoffs, but the Atlantic Division bottom feeder had other ideas. It isn’t a huge loss for the Blackhawks, as Katchouk was often a healthy scratch this season and is in the last year of his contract.
The Blackhawks will have to replace Katchouk on the active roster, but that may be more convenient anyway. With the Big Ten Tournament kicking off this weekend, one of Landon Slaggert or Frank Nazar’s seasons is wrapping up, as Notre Dame and Michigan face one another in the first round. The loser of that matchup could be signed as early as next week, and there’s now space on the roster to make that happen.
With Friday being the last day players could be sent to the AHL in order to be eligible for the league’s playoffs, Isaak Phillips, Louis Crevier, and Zach Sanford were all sent down. Davidson said Crevier and Phillips will likely finish out the season with the IceHogs. That’s a direct result of Nikita Zaitsev finally making his return, as the two would likely be healthy scratches anyway.
The Blackhawks weren’t expected to make much noise at the deadline, but making zero external moves was certainly a surprise. Chicago has plenty of assets to work with in the draft, as well as a prospect pool overflowing with talent. The lineup won’t look too different after the trade deadline, but a few internal moves could help spice things up.
