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Chicago Blackhawks and Arizona Coyotes Make a Trade

The Chicago Blackhawks and Arizona Coyotes have gotten together late on Sunday evening and made another trade.

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NHL Trade Talk
November 25, 2018

The Chicago Blackhawks and Arizona Coyotes have gotten together late on Sunday evening and made another trade. The Blackhawks are sending forward Nick Schmaltz to the Arizona Coyotes, while high-draft pick Dylan Strome and Brendan Perlini will be headed back to Chicago.

Strome (AAV $863,333) is signed through the 2019-20 season but hasn’t quite supplanted himself as a contributing forward since being drafted. Perlini (AAV $863,333) is signed through the 2018-19 campaign as well. He’s got six points on the season so far with 17 goals and 30 points in the 2017-18 campaign.

The trade was first reported by Elliotte Friedman and then later confirmed by the Arizona Coyotes.

OFFICIAL: #Coyotes Acquire Schmaltz from Chicago in Exchange for Perlini and Strome https://t.co/u5b5avWFG4

— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) November 26, 2018

One of the interesting aspects of this trade is that the Blackhawks will now have both Alex DeBrincat and Strome on the same team. They had huge success together when the duo played on the same Erie Otters team as Connor McDavid.

All three players in this trade were first round picks. Strome was a 3rd-overall in 2015, Schmaltz the 20th overall in 2014 and Perlini an 11th overall selection in 2014. All are on the final year of their contracts.

There were rumors the Blackhawks were looking at trading Schmaltz. After scoring 21 goals last season, Schmaltz is a restricted free agent next summer and has just two goals in 23 games in 2018-19. “Nick is a dynamic forward with top line potential,” said Coyotes GM John Chayka. “We feel he can be a core player of our team now and into the future. He’s a good complement to our evolving forward group and a rare combination of speed, skill and creativity.”

Chayka has been signing a number of his free agents early trying to beat the market and get his players on value contracts prior to them breaking out. It will be interesting to see if he takes the same approach with Schmaltz and gets him signed right away.