Kyle Davidson, the first general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks, must have loved being on stage.
After a dizzying series of moves on draft day, he made three trips to the microphone at the Bell Center in Montreal in the first round on Thursday night to announce three new Hawks picks: guards Kevin Korczynski and Sacramento. Tim Linzel and striker Frank Nazar.
To accomplish such a feat, however, the Hawks traded All-Star wing Alex Deblink Carter to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday in exchange for this year’s No. 7 and No. 39 picks and 2024. third-round pick.
Then in another draft-day lore, the Hawks sent Kirby Dach to the Montreal Canadiens for the 13th and 66th picks, which included Habs sending defenseman Alexander Romanoff to the New York Islanders The team got the 13th pick.
The Hawks selected 6-foot-2, 185-pound guard Koczynski of the WHL Seattle Thunderbirds with the seventh overall pick.NHL Central Scouting calls him “a high-end offensive-defender who is very skilled and can create scoring opportunities in any situation. Excellent on the power game.”
Defenseman Kevin Korchinski poses for a photo after being selected by the Blackhawks in the first round of the NHL draft in Montreal on Thursday.(Ryan Remioz/The Associated Press)
”We really got our people,” Davidson said on the radio.”That was one of the main things we wanted to do today, was get Kevin Korczynski and we got him.
”The combination of the size, the skate, the whole package, we really like it. We’re just ecstatic.”
While the Hawks were happy with Korczynski, they did fill their need for speed with right-hander Nazar.
Central Scouting says he’s “a great skater who can generate speed quickly, handle the game well, and create chances on the fly. A consistent scoring threat, moves laterally and is difficult to control with the ball.”
Frank Nazar dons a Blackhawks sweater after being selected with the 13th overall pick in the NHL draft in Montreal on Thursday.(Ryan Remioz/The Associated Press)
”Oh my god, this is so unreal,” Nazar told Emily Kaplan on ESPN’s broadcast.”It’s like you’re dreaming, you don’t end up waking up. It just keeps going.”
In exchange, they helped the Leafs free up cap space by accepting veteran goalkeeper Peter Mrazek’s salary ($3.8 million through 2023-24) and sending a second-round pick (No. 38).
According to Central Scouting, Rinzel is another 6-foot-4, 177-pound blue liner who has played similarly to Vegas’ Alex Pietrangelo.
According to his scouting report, he is “a high-end skater for his size, with a smooth stride and excellent mobility.”"A very good starter pass, great vision, able to find open teammates. . . . Defending with a good, strong stick.”
”I think it’s going to be a good opportunity for me and a lot of players to make an impact,” Linzel said on air when asked about joining the rebuilding team.
The Hawks also started the offseason without a goalie, and now have Mrazek and Kevin Lankinen still unsigned.
The Eagles were happy to acquire two of their three first-round picks in the lottery, but at a high price.
Davidson on outgoing players Deblink Carter and Dach: “They’re good players. Deblink Carter is more mature in his career, he’s a prolific player, but you know, in our In rebuilding, we need assets, we need young assets, we need to build a foundation of prospects like that. We think that’s the best way, we have our own process, we’re going to stick with it, and we’re happy with where we’re going today. “
Blackhawks left winger Alex Debrin Carter celebrates after scoring against the Ducks at the United Center on March 8, 2022.(Chris Swerda/Chicago Tribune)
Dach had nine goals and 17 assists in 70 games with the Hawks last season, but the center has yet to live up to expectations for the third overall pick in the 2019 draft.
All told, what DeBrincat and Dach have brought to the team has been offset by the Eagles’ desire to put together a solid draft pick and prospect for their multi-year rebuild.
Blackhawks center Kirby Dach handles a game against the Panthers at the United Center on February 20, 2022.(Eileen Huley/Chicago Tribune)
The Eagles ended Deblink Carter’s five-season chapter with a 2016 second-round pick that became their No. 1 goal-maker and replacement for Patrick Kane.
Davidson has reportedly turned down several offers for Deblink Carter, who scored 41 goals last season, until he gets the stunning deal he’s been looking for that will be the cornerstone of a years-long rebuilding effort .
”We thank Alex for his tireless dedication to the Blackhawks over the past five seasons and wish him all the best in Ottawa,” Davidson said in a team statement.”Trying a player of Alex’s caliber is a very difficult decision. We feel that this move appears to provide the Blackhawks with additional flexibility and future talent to set themselves up for future success. Securing a first-round pick tonight and a second-round pick tomorrow allows us to solidify our prospect base with high-end players who we expect will be different makers for years to come.”
In five seasons with the Eagles, Deblink Carter had 160 goals and 147 assists in 368 games.He made the All-Star Game for the first time in his career last season.
On the surface, the Brandon Hagel trade didn’t pay off handsomely — two conditional first-round picks and two rookies from the Tampa Bay Chargers — but Davidson has been working on it Fight for a first-round pick in this year’s draft.
In July, the Seth Jones trade executed by Davidson’s predecessor, Stan Bowman, required the Hawks to send this year’s first-round pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets.Since Davidson replaced Bowman in late October, he’s been bemoaning the loss of the pick — especially now that he’s set to rebuild.
With the decision to hit the reset button on the team, the Eagles extended their return to Stanley Cup contention.
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Another mitigating factor: The Hawks need to find a trade partner who not only has the assets they want but also has room to accommodate Deblink Carter’s current and future cap.
Even if Deblink Carter is 24 years old, the Eagles could risk seeing him through his prime before they are competitive again.Additionally, the Eagles said they want to be cautious about spending, and a qualifying offer for DeBrincat would cost them $9 million.
The Hawks are also trying to build draft picks and prospects, so trading Deblink Carter serves two purposes: add two picks in the first two rounds of the year, and — lose their most dynamic winger besides Kane — Keep them firmly in the Conor Bedard 2023 sweepstakes.
The head of amateur scouting described Bedard as a “generational” talent, like Matvey Michkoff and Adam Vantilli, if the Hawks lose enough games to get into the top three of the lottery, They’ll give the Hawks 3 chances to acquire a franchise player.
But that’s for Hawks fans who have embraced Deblink Carter as the team’s future, at least early on.
Part of Davidson’s self-imposed task of replenishing his inventory with a trove of draft picks and/or prospects, so the task is done there.
The Hawks have two first-round picks (one top-10 protected) and two second-round picks in 2023, as well as two first-round picks (one, top-10 protected) and two A third-round pick in 2024.
If the Hawks don’t do anything else, they could get 19 picks in the first three rounds of the next three seasons.
The Hawks started this roster revolution with Korczynski, who was compared to Las Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Theodore Theodore.
Korchinski checked a few boxes for the Eagles.He has the size, speed, and ability to run and handle the ball, but is still considered a formidable defender.He is third in the WHL in assists (61) and second in 65 points in 67 games, including four goals.
The Hawks have some young defenders vying for ice time between Chicago and Rockford, but amateur scouting director Mike Donigay hinted last week that the Hawks won’t give up having the ability to meet their other major needs. The blue inside of offensive skills: Center.
”If your defenders can skate fast, they can get the puck fast, and they can transfer the ball to the striker faster, they’re also (ideally) fast,” Donigay told the Tribune.”If you’re a fast-skating defender, you can take time and space (from the opponent) in the neutral zone and stop it before it even gets into the zone.”
Nazar, a 5-foot-10, 175-pound Detroit native, had 28 goals and 42 assists in 56 games for the U.S. National Hockey Development Program’s under-18 squad.
Central Scouting gave him a high hockey IQ and compared him to Calgary Flames forward Johnny Goldrow.