It has been over a week since the NHL draft lottery took place, and the Chicago Blackhawks are already being thrown in trade rumors across the league. The organization entered the lottery with the second-best odds to land the top pick in the draft this year, but ultimately fell to the third spot after the Islanders won the number one overall selection with a 3.5% chance to do so.
Even though the organization didn’t get the result they wanted out of the lottery, the third overall pick will still be a huge part of their current rebuild. Chicago has made eight first round selections in the last three years, and they will make two more in June to add to their talented crop of young players.
A trade proposal between the Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres was put out into the hockey world on Monday, and this hypothetical move would impact Chicago’s rebuild massively.
Chicago Blackhawks in wild rumor for Bowen Byram and JJ Peterka
The trade rumor floated out between the Blackhawks and Sabres includes swapping first round picks and multiple players.
- Chicago Blackhawks receive: Bowen Byram, JJ Peterka, 2025 first-round pick (9th overall)
- Buffalo Sabres receive: Lukas Reichel, Nolan Allan, Laurent Brossoit, 2025 first-round pick (3rd overall)
Byram was a first round pick of the Avalanche in 2019 and had a solid first season in Buffalo this past year. The defenseman played in all 82 games for the Sabres and scored seven goals to pair with his 31 assists. Byram had a +11 plus/minus rating, proving that he can be impactful in a prominent role as a two-way blue liner. Adding him to the mix in Chicago would instantly give the Blackhawks one of the best top-four defensemen pairings in the league.
Peterka was a potential trade target for the Blackhawks at the deadline this past season when Buffalo was rumored to be taking calls on the young forward. He had another fantastic season with the Sabres, as he scored 27 goals and collected 41 assists in 77 games. Peterka would elevate the Blackhawks top-six forward group and allow for some of their key veterans to work into middle-six roles next season.
In terms of the players that Chicago would give up in this deal, it is an absolute no-brainer. Reichel could use a change of scenery, and Allan is already getting squeezed out of ice time on the blue line as it is. Brossoit has yet to play a game with the organization, and the Spencer Knight acquisition at the trade deadline doesn’t necessarily give him a path to time in the cage next season.
Why the Chicago Blackhawks likely wouldn’t do this deal
There are two logical reasons why this deal wouldn’t make it across the finish line. One being that Buffalo would be unloading two great talents and not getting much back in return in terms of NHL-ready guys. Depending on how they view Reichel and Allan, Chicago would likely need to offer more, or other young players if they wanted a package of Peterka and Byram.
Another reason would be the swapping of draft picks. While that is the only way this specific package would make any sort of sense for Buffalo, it is uncertain how much general manager Kyle Davidson is willing to move off the third pick. While they would be getting fantastic young talent for the future and right now, the third pick could still be a piece to the puzzle that they might not want to miss out on.
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