Chicago Blackhawks: Looking back at the Nylander-Jokiharju trade

On July 9th, 2019, the Chicago Blackhawks traded Henri Jokiharju to the Buffalo Sabres for Alexander Nylander. Since then, it seems like Chicago didn’t actually win that trade.

After the Chicago Blackhawks traded away 19-year old Henri Jokiharju (No. 29 pick in 2017), I was going to be a positive fan and trust Stan Bowman’s decision making. I didn’t feel the need for a Jokiharju trade to begin with but after bringing in so many defenseman in the offseason, there wasn’t enough space for all of them.

Taking Alexander Nylander (No. 6 pick in 2016) from the Buffalo Sabres was smart in theory. He was a player who has underperformed at the NHL level and become a draft disappointment. It reminded fans about the Dylan Strome trade. Strome was becoming a draft bust until he was traded to the Blackhawks. Since he’s been a Blackhawk, he has turned his career around. That trade was a total steal for the Blackhawks.

The Nylander-Jokiharju trade was a straight-up player for player trade. It was a questionable decision at the time and has become more questionable today. The Blackhawks have had a few injuries defensively. It’s hard to predict injuries before a season because teams don’t want any player to get hurt, but still, Jokiharju would be a huge benefit for the defense.

The Blackhawks were looking to buff up their wingers by getting Nylander. He would fill a depth role, which the team needed, for a cheap price.

In 2019-20, both players have capped their career highs in games played. Jokiharju has played in 43-games, with Nylander playing in only 39. Nylander has been a healthy scratch a few times this season, most recent being the team’s 4-2 win against the Red Wings on Sunday.

Jokiharju has four goals and seven assists so far this season, while Nylander has five goals and nine assists. The weird thing is, Nylander has played on lines with both Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. Playing with those stars should give a player more than 14-points.

Jokiharju having just three fewer points isn’t too bad for him. As a defenseman, his goal isn’t to score goals, he is supposed to play defense. Nylander is supposed to score goals and create plays, he hasn’t done much of that.

If the team still had Jokiharju, he could play on a line with Adam Boqvist. I think that’s a missed chance by Bowman. The Sabres won the trade if any team actually came out a winner. In my opinion, Jokiharju was going to be a solid top-four defenseman. He will never be too expensive so he could have been with the team for a long time. Either way, he is gone so there’s nothing the team can do now.

Just in the future, Bowman can’t get too cute and trade guys away believing he can fix draft busts. Strome was an exception and will be an asset for the team for years to come. All hope isn’t lost for Nylander. He is under contract for another season after this. If he can improve and become a solid asset for the team, he might be re-signed. Just for Chicago’s sake, let’s hope he can become a solid depth player who can make a difference for the team. A guy like Dave Bolland.