The Blackhawks decided they HAD to move Alex DeBrincat because of this reason
The Chicago Blackhawks traded Alex DeBrincat at the NHL Draft to the Ottawa Senators. The initial reaction was that the Senators were able to steal DeBrincat in the deal. That reaction stemmed from the return the Blackhawks received.
The Senators were able to acquire a 40-goal scorer for a 1st, 2nd and 3rd round pick, but even more impressive they were able to acquire a 40-goal scorer who is still under team control. While DeBrincat has one season remaining on his current deal, he is a restricted free agent when that deal expires.
Now according to Scott Powers, the reason the Hawks were so desperate to trade DeBrincat was because he outright refused to negotiate an extension with the Hawks. This left the team feeling like they had no other choice but to move on from the player.
With so many teams up against the salary cap it appears the Senators were able to acquire a significant upgrade to their team at a very reasonable price. This loss also helped the Blackhawks speed up their rebuild and likely encourages players like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews to waive their no movement clauses further advancing the rebuild.
It also appears though that DeBrincat was unwilling to agree to an extension with the Senators before any deal was made, limiting the overall return.
| POLL | ||
Do you think Kyle Davidson got enough for Alex DeBrincat? | ||
| Yes, it was a fair deal | 35 | 41.7 % |
| No, he could have gotten more at the deadline | 29 | 34.5 % |
| No, he could have gotten more now if he tried | 20 | 23.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
