Blackhawk Rebuild

By : Mike Rifkin

When former Blackhawks General Manager Stan Bowman resigned in wake of the Kyle Beach lawsuit assistant GM Kyle Davidson took over and said he was going to rebuild this team. On Thursday he certainly decided to start that rebuild with two massive trades involving younger players. He traded 24 year old Alex Debrincat who last year scored 40 goals and moved 21 year old center and former third overall pick Kirby Dach.

Debrincat who has scored 41 goals twice in his career had a career high 78 points in all 82 games last season. Debrincat was traded to the Ottawa Senators for the seventh overall pick (Kevin Korchinski – defenseman), 39th overall pick (Paul Ludwinski – Center) and a 2024 third round pick. Davidson said on trading Debrincat “We feel as if this move sets the Blackhawks up for future success by giving us additional flexibility and future talent. Securing the first round pick tonight and an additional second round pick tomorrow allows us to fortify our prospect base with high end players who we expect to be difference makers in the coming years.” Debrincat is 24 years old and is a high end player so why make this move? If Debrincat who is a restricted free agent after the season had no intention on wanting to be a Blackhawk long term than that would make sense but that was never leaked. Guys who can score 40 goals don’t come along all the time, and when they do you have to pay them or they won’t play for you, but given Debrincat’s age it confuses me. The other part that gets me is planning for the future is a plan, but what about the team this upcoming season? 

Kirby Dach who was the third overall pick in 2019 had nine goals and 26 points in 70 games played last season. Dach was traded for the 13th overall pick (Frank Nazar – Center) and the 66th overall pick (Gavin Hayes – LW). As a rookie Dach had eight goals and 23 points in 64 games played. Dach then fractured his wrist playing in an exhibition prior to the World Juniors. He wound up playing 18 games after the injury and had two goals and 10 points. Here is my question on Dach before trading him did the organization have they put him in the best position to succeed? Because if you didn’t I would have a hard time moving a 21 year old Center.

Who knows what happens with the players the Blackhawks selected, but moving off two players in your own building who can be a part of this rebuild is something. Davidson also went on to say last night regarding future Hall of Famers and stars Jonathon Toews and Patrick Kane “ I think there is value in having guys like that can help mold and set the barand set the example for young players coming in. But that’s a two way street and they have to want to be a part of that.” Kane and Toews both are entering the last season of identical 10 year contracts. Both have been major reasons why the Blackhawks won three Stanley Cups and eventually both their numbers will be retired and both will go into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Kane and Toews both have earned every right to stay if they want to. But for me I see Kane on the move for sure and Toews is a tougher situation to read but it is the beginning of a rebuild for the Blackhawks.