“When and Not If” Blackhawks Trade Alex DeBrincat Says NHL Insider

According to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, it’s a matter of time before the Chicago Blackhawks trade sniper Alex DeBrincat off of their rebuilding roster. A team that will be going through a number of changes and reports are already out there that they are listening to offers on any player that doesn’t have a no-move clause, DeBrincat is potentially too good a player to keep if the team can get a huge return and isn’t going to be all that competitive.

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Seravalli writes, “The question seems to be ‘when’ and not ‘if’ the Hawks will move the two-time 40-goal scorer. Is it this summer, or before next season’s trade deadline?”

He says it might seem odd to hear the Blackhawks would even consider a DeBrincat trade, but he adds:

“… consider these three points: 1) DeBrincat is Chicago’s best trade chip to begin stockpiling future assets; 2) By the time Chicago gets to where they want, he will be middle-aged by NHL standards; 3) With a $9 million qualifying offer due at the end of next season, they’d need to pay big to keep him on what should be a struggling squad.”

The Blackhawks do want to turn the team around faster than a traditional rebuild and DeBrincat says he’s not in a hurry to leave the team, but realistically, the organization might be better off moving a player who will fetch a ton in a trade if there is a team out there willing to buy high. He’s coming off of a 78-points season in 82 games. He had 41 goals on a very lousy Blackhawks team. He’s only 24 years old and whichever team acquires him will be doing so and potentially signing him to a long-term extension with his prime years ahead of him.

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