Chicago Blackhawks acquire forward Dominik Kubalik from Los Angeles Kings

The Chicago Blackhawks acquired forward Dominik Kubalik in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.  What does this European prospect bring to the table?

Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman sent a 2019 fifth-round draft pick to the Los Angeles Kings in return for the forward from the Czech Republic.  The 23-year old prospect is a previous 7th-round 2013 NHL draft pick and has been playing in the Swiss-A National League.

While playing for HC Ambri Piotta, Kubalik is the league’s leading scorer with 43 points, off 18 goals and 25 assists in 37 games.  Last season with HC Ambri Piotta, he scored 27 points off 10 goals and 17 assists.  Per his stats listed by EliteProspects.com,  he has been scoring at or above a point per game for the past three seasons.

Listed at 6-feet, 2-inches and 187 pounds, Kubalik brings some size to the left wing position.  If you watch his highlights video, you’ll see that he is an excellent playmaker and can snipe.

The high-end talent is definitely there.  Of course, videos can be misleading when only highlights are included.  From HockeysFuture.com, here is a scouting report from last year:

"Kubalik was a highly-regarded CHL draft pick but had mixed success in two seasons in the OHL before returning to the Czech Republic. He is a tall player who can skate well and move the puck but lacks the bulk to ward off opposing checkers. Kubalik brings a little bit of nasty to his game and isn’t afraid to throw the body around and mix it up. He shows flashes of potential but has not yet shown consistency from shift to shift.Read more at http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/dominik-kubalik/#uzWEwE1iTx8rkrWm.99"

As a draft pick of the Los Angeles Kings, Kubalik did not appear interested in joining the NHL team.  In a detailed article from lakingsinsider.com, Kubalik is described as a player who could bring real value to an NHL team.  Kubalik will finish his season with Ambri and could be an interesting addition for the ‘Hawks next season.  An additional item of interest is that Kubalik was a teammate of Dominik Kahun in the OHL from 2012-2014.

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This is a good acquisition by Bowman for a fifth-round pick.  As Blackhawk Up’s Sam Boland wrote in his recent article, the ‘Hawks will also need to make some moves when defenseman Gustav Forsling returns from his injury.  Get ready for some more Blackhawks front office action.