The Blackhawks aren’t done. They’re back in the first round, acquiring the 25th overall pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs as well as goaltender Petr Mrazek in exchange for the 38th overall pick. The Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli first reported the trade, which has since been confirmed by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. The trade creates an additional $3.8MM in additional salary cap space for the Maple Leafs over each of the next two seasons.
For the Blackhawks, who are entering the next phase of a full-scale rebuild, the trade gives the team their third first-round pick of the evening after entering the day with zero picks in the round. The team used the pick to select Sam Rinzel, a Minnesota high school defenseman who was projected to go in the middle of the second round. The interesting wrinkle to this selection is that Chicago may have been able to simply utilize the 38th overall selection they traded away to select Rinzel, however draft-floor chatter may have made Chicago move quicker than they had intended.
The deal is a no-brainer for Toronto, who was already tight on salary cap space, giving them some breathing room, and doing so at the cost of sliding down just 13 spots in the draft order. Mrazek struggled greatly this season, posting a 3.38 goals-against average and .888 save-percentage in 20 games, dealing with injuries and even being placed on waivers. One issue with the deal is is it leaves the Maple Leafs without either of the goalies they started their season with, as All Star Jack Campbell is set to hit the UFA market. However, this trade opens up room for the team to take a run at keeping Campbell in the fold, or at least find a replacement.
Please buy him out!
Leafs are trash
Leafs made a nice move there!
Now they will go after Kuemper! $5M x 4
I’d rather they go after Husso, Kuemper seems to get injured a lot. Or maybe there is a trade out there waiting to happen for a goalie we haven’t considered.
Hot shot GM keeps having to do this type of trade of draft picks.
Dubie only lost 13 spots in the draft to get rid of a bad contract. I am impressed!
Oh it’s impressive for sure but in a – drilling a hole in your boat and not sinking because you bail just fast enough – kind of way. Maybe these new school GMs just understand the game differently.
Leafs traded the pick that ends up being Seth Jarvis to get rid of Marleau, traded a first for a month of Nick Foligno and a first to get rid of Mrazek and were supposed to take them seriously
Dubas can’t do anything right
Hawks need somebody to be a human dartboard for the next two years and had no G signed. I like the move just not sure about the pick they made. Basically it was Mrazek for the money they wouldn’t offer Dylan Strome. Mrazek is going to need better health insurance, and psychiatric help.
Lambert would have been better.
This contract was a mistake by Dubas and he had to pay a price to fix it. But to be fair at least he didn’t really have to give up an asset this time, he just had to make a moderate downgrade in value. Chicago should have tried to get another lower pick as well.
Dubas W
Dubas deserves an award on this one, if you look at the numbers Kessel’s contract is finally off the payroll then add Campbell & Mrazek and soon to be Mikheyev’s money that’s 10.4MM to get a tender and fill out the bottom of the lineup. Well done!
If he deserves an award, maybe it can be presented to him by the guy who did the Mrazek deal.
Mark Hunter must be laughing @ Dubai
Had to use a first to get rid of him but hey Leafs need all the cap they can get.
Should have given up what Sakic gave up for Georgiev. Would have used the cash for ilya.
Grabbed Halak until Kallgren is ready to back up.
Dubas getting propa for this is hillarious. Digging yourself out of a hole you put yourself in is NOT impressive.
It’s like that Rick and Morty episode where Rick gets blackout drunk and once he sobers up he keeps talking about the drunk version of himself in the third person. “Yeah, I am so awesome for this great salary dump trade. Woah, that was last season me that gave out that terrible contract so don’t blame me!”
Your quote is not in the third person. You would have to write “Dubas is so awesome” and “that was Dubas last season”