Hawks Trade DeBrincat to Ottawa, Country No. 7 Overall Pick originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
MONTREAL — The Blackhawks have traded All-Star winger Alex DeBrincat for the Ottawa Senators, the team announced Thursday afternoon. In return, Chicago will receive the No. 7 and No. 39 overall picks in the 2022 NHL Draft and a third round in 2024.
The Blackhawks now have seven selections in the first three rounds of the 2022 NHL Draft, and 10 in all.
“We thank Alex for his tireless dedication to the Blackhawks organization over the past five seasons and wish him the best in Ottawa,” GM Kyle Davidson said in a statement. “It was an incredibly difficult decision to trade a player of Alex’s caliber. We feel that this move will prime the Blackhawks for future success by giving us added flexibility and future talent. Thanks to the extra roster in the second round tomorrow we can strengthen our prospect base with high-end players that we expect to make a difference in the coming years.
“Although we did not have a first-choice in the draft until today, our Scouting staff anticipated this scenario. I have been clear in my desire to advance to the first round, and we are excited to go ahead and make a choice This evening.”
DeBrincat’s name has been going on the rumor mill for weeks now, and it seemed inevitable that the rebuilding Blackhawks would sell him for the 2022 NHL Draft, as they had no first-round roster. Now they do, and it allows the Blackhawks to start replenishing their thin pipeline.
DeBrincat, 24, racked up 307 points (160 goals, 147 assists) in 368 games in five NHL seasons with the Blackhawks. He was drafted by Chicago in the second round (No. 39 overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft, and quickly emerged as one of the league’s leading scorers.
Since becoming a full-time NHL player in 2017, DeBrincat ranks eighth among all skaters with 160 goals. That’s why the Blackhawks got a huge catch for the 5-foot-7, 165-pound sniper, who hasn’t even reached the prime of his career yet.
DeBrincat is entering the final year of his contract with a $6.4 million cap hit, and he’s due for a significant raise. His qualifying offer is $9 million, and it wouldn’t be surprising if his next deal was in that ballpark for a longer-term deal.
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