The Brandon Hagel trade is looking really nice for the Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks needed to have a very good 2022 NHL Trade Deadline. Most would say that they did okay but they did particularly well in one trade. Nobody wanted to see Brandon Hagel go but they did it anyway and the results are amazing so far.

With Chicago, in an advanced role, he thrived. He scored 21 goals and added 16 assists for 37 points in 55 games played. That is excellent for a guy of his status and role on the team. Then, the Hawks traded him to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Things are different in Tampa Bay. They have Hall of Famers at every position and a legit chance to win the Stanley Cup every year (they have won the last two). A guy like Hagel is important there but his role was reduced by a lot.

In 22 regular-season games played there, he had four goals and three assists for seven points. It isn’t like he was completely useless there but he wasn’t on the same pace as he was in Chicago. That isn’t his fault, Tampa just is that good.

The Chicago Blackhawks need this trade to work out in their favor.

The Blackhawks got a really nice return for him. In addition to Hagel, they gave up a fourth-round pick in 2022 for Tampa Bay’s first in 2023, first in 2024, Boris Katchouk, and Taylor Raddysh. Two first-round picks and two NHL-ready young players is a huge haul for this guy.

Raddysh came in and was just as productive as Hagel in the regular season from that moment on and Katchouk is a 23-year-old depth winger. This was just an amazing trade for Kyle Davidson and one that could really help this team for a long time.

Chances are that Tampa Bay goes deep in 2023 and 2024 as well so the picks will be in the 20s but grabbing as many firsts as you can is a great way to try and rebuild your organization. If the Blackhawks scouting and developing does a good job, they could each turn into really good players.

Tampa, of course, won’t be mad at the trade if they win the Stanley Cup but they have also won the last two. They are trying to get the most out of their current core and you have to respect it. No prospect drafted in 23 or 24 is going to help them win now. Brandon Hagel can.

There is a really good chance that we look at this trade years down the line and see it as one that helped both teams for a long time. It would be cool to see Hagel win the Cup which is very possible but it would be even better to see the Blackhawks successfully rebuild.