With the trade deadline done and dusted, teams have finalized their rosters as they push for a spot on the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It was an eventful trade window, with teams scrambling before the deadline to bolster their rosters. Well, it certainly wasn’t an exception for the Chicago Blackhawks, who made quite the moves before the trade deadline. As a result, their hopes of making it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs may have revived.
The Blackhawks have the worst record this season in the NHL and remain at the bottom of the Central Division. Thus, making the right moves now was more crucial than ever. The Hawks were able to retain star forward, Ryan Donato, and his contract is likely in the works. Donato amassed 23 goals and 24 assists this season. It is also the best season of his career and the highest he has scored in a season. Now, he remains a key figure amid the Hawks’ push for the Stanley Cup Playoffs berth.
On the other hand, the trade deadline also saw Petr Mrázek and Craig Smith being traded by the Hawks to the Detroit Red Wings. Mrázek had a 0.890 save percentage, and the Hawks will miss his services in the upcoming games. But in return, they managed to get forward, Joe Veleno, who is yet to make a significant mark this season.
Additionally, Nick Foligno continues to lead the Hawks, with players like Connor Bedard and Teuvo Teravainen being key contributors in Hawks’ offense. In defense, TJ Brodie and Alex Vlasic will have to play an important role if the Hawks were to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In the goal, the Hawks will have the services of Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom.
However, Ryan Donato’s retention as one of the hottest prospects of this trade window was noteworthy. After the trade deadline, the Hawks’ General Manager, Kyle Davidson opened up about how they managed to retain him.
Chicago Blackhawks’ interesting trade trick
If Ryan Donato was traded, it would significantly the Chicago Blackhawks’ chances of reaching the Stanley Cup Playoffs as he’s been the team’s highest goal scorer. Thus, it was crucial for the Hawks to retain their star performer. Something their general manager, Kyle Davidson, identified early on and made the smart move of preventing Donato’s trade.
Regarding Donato, Davidson said, “Our plan was [that] we were going to set a high price because we value Ryan. We love what he brings.’’ Additionally, the General Manager also cited that he has discussed some ideas with Donato’s representatives for a contract extension with him. Donato’s contract expires after this season, the contract earned him $2 Million a year.
But Davidson was busy for other reasons as well. He also acquired Veleno from the Red Wings. “He’s a talented guy. We’ll see if we can pull some additional value out of him. Sometimes a little opportunity and a change of scenery does that,” Davidson said about Veleno.
With the Blackhawks roster looking better, the pressure is on players like Connor Bedard and Ryan Donato to carry their team upward from the bottom of the list. Can they reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs? Let us know your views in the comments below.
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