NEWSLETTER
In the wake of Luke Richardson being named the new head coach in Chicago, the Blackhawks are riding pretty high right now. But a cloud hovers over the organization in the persistent rumors of a coming-trade involving forward Alex DeBrincat.
The 2022 NHL Draft, inching ever closer, figures to be the first significant time on the calendar when the Hawks could look to move their young star. And there are some teams reportedly interested in DeBrincat with first round picks that might interest the new front office.
Indeed, the Blackhawks are reportedly asking for a high draft pick (or multiple high picks), and multiple young players in a deal for DeBrincat.
This is in line with what Kyle Davidson was able to get for Brandon Hagel, who had two years of control left. Davidson received Tampa’s first-round picks in 2023 and 2024 and two players — Taylor Raddysh and Boris Katchouk — for Hagel. And he hasn’t scored 40 goals in an NHL season yet.
So what are we hearing about DeBrincat? And what picks do those teams own that may be of intrigue in the coming week? There are three teams that have been most prominently tied to DeBrincat rumors over the past three weeks, so we’ll focus on them.
New Jersey Devils
Jersey owns the second overall pick in this year’s draft, which is why the known chatter from all parties appears to have them among the frontrunners. Even though Jersey has said in the past that the pick could be in play, there are some questions about whether or not they’ll actually move it at this point.
We’ve written about the Devils’ young prospects and forwards at the NHL level who would be at/near the top of Chicago’s want list: Dawson Mercer and Alexander Holtz are two young forwards who would qualify as the Blackhawks getting a solid return for DeBrincat if the No. 2 was involved. But how much are they willing to mortgage to get a young forward with at least one more year of control?
Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers were a massive disappointment this year and appear to be willing to make a bold move to change the trajectory of their franchise. Philly owns the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. They do not, however, own a second round pick in this year’s draft or 2023. So giving up multiple first round selections without picks in the second round the next two years is a bigger pricetag.
The money question is if Cam York or Bobby Brink would be included. But with John Tortorella behind the bench, Philly will look to improve immediately and might be willing to pay a premium for an elite scorer to jump start their hibernating offense.
Los Angeles Kings
The Kings are a fascinating proposition because their first pick this year isn’t until No. 19 overall, which isn’t likely to get the excitement levels up at the United Center in a draft that has a lot of question marks. But the Kings own one of the deepest talent pools up front in the NHL and the prospects they would include would more likely be the win for Chicago in a prospective deal here.
However, let me be clear: don’t start buying Quenton Byfield jerseys in red or white. I don’t see a scenario where he’s available, even for DeBrincat. If the Kings were open to including their first round pick in 2023 — which would give Chicago three firsts in a class being touted as potentially great — that would be a solid start.
