Blackhawks: Chicago acquires another former MVP forward

The Chicago Blackhawks acquired Josh Bailey and a 2026 second-round pick from the New York Islanders early on Thursday in exchange for future considerations.

That is clearly a cap dump for the Islanders. Following the deal, Chicago revealed that they were buying Bailey out which makes sense.

They then proceeded to partake in the second round of the 2023 NHL Draft. Clearly, it was going to be a busy day for the franchise.

Well, they made another trade during the draft that might turn some heads. They sent a 7th-round pick to the Tampa Bay Lightning to get Corey Perry’s UFA rights.

The Chicago Blackhawks made a trade for another former MVP forward.

You’d think that the Hawks decide to give Corey Perry a contract extension. It wouldn’t make much sense to acquire his rights to just let him go. That is like giving a 7th round pick away for nothing if they don’t sign him.

Perry isn’t the player that he was back in the day but he is still a pest on the ice. He also brings leadership qualities that might really help this young Blackhawks team off the ice.

Perry won the Hart Trophy as the MVP of the league back in his earlier days. That makes him the second Hart Trophy winner that the Hawks have acquired in the last week.

Of course, the first was Taylor Hall who Chicago acquired from the Boston Bruins on Monday. It’s very interesting to see the moves that Kyle Davidson is making for the team.

Most of Perry’s greatness came as a member of the Anaheim Ducks. That is where he became one of the better players in the NHL during his prime.

He has since spent time with the Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens, and Tampa Bay Lightning. We’ll see where it goes with the Chicago Blackhawks. Kyle Davidson clearly wants this team to have some leadership right away.