New Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson sent a strong message Friday: rebuilding means rebuilding.
In a stunning blockbuster trade, the Hawks dealt Brandon Hagel to the Lightning — along with two fourth-round draft picks — for two first-round picks and two young NHL forwards, Taylor Raddysh and Boris Katchouk.
Parting ways with Hagel, whose endless work ethic and tenacity had quickly made him a fan favorite and a unique player on the Hawks these past two seasons, is painful. But rebuilding in general is painful.
Sources had said Davidson was willing to trade Hagel only if blown away by an offer — and Friday’s return likely blew him past the moon.
“I said a few weeks ago that we are rebuilding, and this is clearly the start of that,” Davidson said in a statement. “Getting two first round draft picks as well as two young NHL players helps us kickstart that process in a major way. We know that Brandon Hagel was a fan favorite — our fans loved him for all the reasons we loved him — and we know he be successful with the Lightning.”
The two first-round picks are in 2023 and 2024, so they don’t solve the problem of the Hawks not having one in this year’s draft, but they’ll significantly bolster the Hawks’ draft classes both those years. They’re both top-10 protected, although they’re far more likely to fall near the bottom of the 32 picks considering the Lightning’s track record.
Raddysh and Katchouk, meanwhile, are former second-round picks who weren’t able to ascend quickly in Tampa — considering all the talent above them — but have the potential to grow into impactful players when given more opportunity in Chicago.
Raddysh, 24, has tallied 12 points in 53 NHL games this season after tallying 110 points in 159 AHL games the past three seasons. He was once Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome’s linemate in the OHL.
Katchouk, 23, has tallied six points in 38 NHL games this season after tallying 89 points in 164 AHL games the past three seasons.
This story will be updated.