DeBrincat is entering the final year of his contract with a cap hit of 6.4 million and will be a restricted free agent (RFA) once it expires. Although the Blackhawks will still hold control over his rights, he is also getting closer to his unrestricted free agent (UFA) eligibility. If extension talks occur this summer and he's only open to a short-term extension, they may feel forced to move him.
The Blackhawks are looking to acquire a first round pick in this years draft. They traded their own first round pick last summer in the trade to acquire Seth Jones from Columbus.
Multiple reports have come out that the Devils are considering the possibility of trading the second-overall pick at this year's NHL Entry Draft for an impact player. The Devils are very solid down the middle with captain Nico Hischier, and franchise center Jack Hughes both locked up long term but are in desperate need of an elite scoring winger. Since the trade deadline there have been reports of Chicago and New Jersey having conversations about DeBrincat. The Blackhawks preference was to complete a trade during the off-season when more teams would have the opportunity to clear cap space and get involved.
DeBrincat is an established star in the league. He had an impressive 41 goals and 78 points this season. It will take more than just the 2nd overall pick to get Chicago's sniper but maybe a package built around the pick along with another former first rounder in Pavel Zacha could get Blackhawks' GM Kyle Davidson interested.
With the Blackhawks rebuilding and the Devils looking to become a playoff team again, these two clubs seem like a perfect match for this kind of blockbuster.
POLL | ||
Will the Blackhawks trade Alex Drebrincat this off-season? | ||
Yes, they are going through a rebuild cash in | 136 | 43.2 % |
No, he is young enough to go through rebuild | 179 | 56.8 % |
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