I will start off by stating the obvious. The Blackhawks missed out on multiple opportunities to improve the team at the 2019 NHL Trade Deadline. I am extremely disappointed and frustrated. The biggest move that the Blackhawks made at the trade deadline this season wasn’t even a trade. It was the announcement that Corey Crawford was activated from the IR and Collin Delia is being re-assigned to the Rockford IceHogs.
#Blackhawks big move on #NHLTradeDeadline is not a trade.
G Corey Crawford has been activated from IR. G Collin Delia has been re-assigned to Rockford. #HockeyTwitter #NHL pic.twitter.com/7HFYDOnx22
— ✶ ✶Tony G✶ ✶ (@Certified_TonyG) February 25, 2019
Blackhawks Lack of Activity at Trade Deadline Will Cost Them
There were countless moves that took place at the deadline that would’ve made a ton of sense for the Blackhawks. StanBo & Co. opted to watch the rest of the league get better, including their division rivals:
Nashville
Earlier today, the Nashville Predators added two big-time threats to their already stacked roster.
Instant Analysis: #Preds swing deadline deals for Wayne Simmonds & Mikael Granlund. https://t.co/Xcbf4B1nif
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) February 25, 2019
A couple of weeks ago, the Predators also added more roster depth by acquiring veteran Brian Boyle.
ICYMI: We made some moves today.#Preds https://t.co/DUwp3Jdyqr
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) February 7, 2019
Dallas
The Dallas Stars were also busy at the trade deadline. They were able to add to their talented Top 6 by acquiring Mats Zuccarello from the New York Rangers, and also, added some defensive help by trading for Ben Lovejoy.
Nill: “It’s time to go do it now.”
On Saturday, the Stars added a scorer and defensive depth. With 21 games remaining, these moves show that Dallas is set up to win right now. https://t.co/brF5t0Aicl
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) February 24, 2019
Winnipeg
The Winnipeg Jets were one of the busiest teams at the trade deadline. They were able to bolster their roster depth by making 5 moves in 1 day. The most impactful move of the 5 was Kevin Hayes who will likely come in and take the 2nd line center position. The Jets just became an even bigger threat in the Western Conference.
NUMBER ALERT: Here are the jersey numbers for the five players acquired today by the Jets that are on the active roster.
No. 12 – Kevin Hayes
No. 15 – Matt Hendricks
No. 22 – Par Lindholm
No. 52 – Bogdan Kiselevich
No. 88 – Nathan Beaulieu— Winnipeg Jets PR (@WpgJetsPR) February 25, 2019
The Blackhawks playoff hopes are looking increasingly doubtful right now, as their back-to-back losses have them on the outside of the Western Conference wild-card race looking in. The lack of trade deadline activity signifies that StanBo & Co. have officially mailed it in this season — so much for being a “playoff team”.
Blackhawks Lose Out On a Potential Marian Hossa Replacement
Although there were some big names that switched teams, perhaps none of them were as big and impactful as Mark Stone. Literally right before the NHL Trade Deadline became official, the Vegas Golden Knights swooped in and stole Stone. Not only did the Knights get their guy, but they also signed him to an 8-year contract extension worth $9 mil AAV.
The Blackhawks could have afforded to give Mark Stone that exact contract, and they also had pieces available that were similar in value to what the Ottawa Senators received from the Vegas Golden Knights. Here’s the breakdown on the Mark Stone trade.
#TSN1260TradeCentre ALERT: from @DarrenDreger
TO #VegasBorn – Mark Stone
TO #GoSensGo-Erik Brannstrom, Oscar Lindberg and DAL 2nd round pick in 2020
Live coverage continues – https://t.co/8GhJHtyxHT pic.twitter.com/GneQa0Z4kk
— TSN 1260 (@TSN1260) February 25, 2019
The Senators got a pretty nice haul back for Mark Stone, but that was expected. Erik Brannstrom is a top defensive prospect who has come on strong while working his way through the Knights’ system. In this highlight reel, Brannstrom showcases his elite offensive skills and skating.
Erik Brannstrom’s playing style reminds me of a defenseman that most Blackhawks fans are familiar with, Adam Boqvist. Not only did they play together on the Swedish IIHF WJC team, but they also share a lot of the same traits and skills. Then, Oscar Lindberg is basically on the same level as John Hayden or David Kampf — a bottom 6 type of player.
When you look at the Mark Stone trade from this perspective, it’s not hard to see that the Blackhawks could have gotten Stone, if they really wanted him. Whether or not you think that trade would be worth it for the Blackhawks, that’s your prerogative. It sure would have been nice to finally have a capable replacement for Marian Hossa.
I do understand why StanBo & Co. didn’t pull the trigger. They value their future defensemen, prospects, and draft picks. The Blackhawks have made their intentions clear by not pulling the trigger on any moves at the NHL trade deadline. They are sticking to the standard rebuild, and that’s fine. They better not be afraid to spend that $22.1 mil in cap space during free agency on the right players.
For Blackhawks news and updates, follow the author @Certified_TonyG on Twitter.
