8 takeaways from the Chicago Blackhawks start to the offseason

The Chicago Blackhawks should have gotten a bit more for Alex DeBrincat.

Davidson really wanted to be able to get into the NHL Entry Draft’s first round. He also wanted as high a pick as he could get so he used his best trade chip to get there.

The problem is he traded away his 40-goal scorer for just a couple of draft picks. He got no other prospects back for DeBrincat. Davidson did not even come close to the return he got for Brandon Hagel at the trade deadline.

DeBrincat has two 40-goal seasons to his name while Hagel was still a budding player. You would think Davidson should have gotten more for DeBrincat.

DeBrincat being unwilling to commit to an extension did hamper how much Davidson could get back for a budding superstar. That still does not excuse the new general manager from being desperate enough to get into the first round to get pennies on the dollar for a player you build around.

Trying to trade DeBrincat is understandable as the Chicago Blackhawks need as many prospects as they can get in this rebuild. It would have been nice to build the next contending team around DeBrincat but his projected salary cap cost potentially limits some cap flexibility.

At the same time, if Davidson could not get as close to full value for DeBrincat, he would have been better served moving him at next season’s trade deadline. The 2023 draft class is better stocked with talent than this class so acquiring more picks for that draft would have made more sense.

Also, a contending team desperate for a dynamic goal scorer might be willing to give up a better package of picks and prospects at the deadline.

Instead, the Hawks gave up a 40-goal scorer for what equates to scratch-off lottery tickets. That trade is something Davidson may come to regret.