ELMONT, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 05: Ryan Carpenter #22 of the Chicago Blackhawks skates against the New York Islanders at the UBS Arena on December 05, 2021 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The Chicago Blackhawks are really tearing it down now. They don’t even care if they help out Western Conference rivals in the short term as long as they are gaining assets for the future. Not every trade is going to be with a conference rival but two big ones have been now so far.
They started the actual trade deadline day by sending Marc-Andre Fleury to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a conditional draft pick. It is a big move for the Hawks that helps out one of their biggest rivals. The pick is a second-round pick that can become a first if Fleury has at least four wins en route to the Western Conference Finals.