Blackhawks do right by captain Nick Foligno with deadline deal

The Chicago Blackhawks pulled off another NHL trade deadline deal on Friday. The club did right by their captain, Nick Foligno, sending him to the Minnesota Wild. The Blackhawks didn’t get anything in return as the move was for “future considerations.”

The deal not only reunites the Foligno brothers but also gives their former captain a chance to win a Stanley Cup.

As ESPN’s Emily Kaplan noted, the Blackhawks didn’t trade Foligno because they didn’t want him. It was a question of doing the right thing for Foligno.

As Kaplan noted, the Blackhawks could not retain any salary in this deal. The Blackhawks have used up all of their retention spots, meaning that the Wild will be taking on Foligno’s full cap hit for the remainder of this season and playoffs.

The Wild did have enough cap space to fit Foligno under the cap. PuckPedia noted that the Wild had $9.75 million in deadline space, easily fitting in Foligno’s $4.5 million.

Trading Foligno isn’t a major surprise. He is an impending UFA and might even be looking at retiring. That’s why playing with his brother in Minnesota, while chasing a Stanley Cup, is something worthwhile for Foligno.

This might be his last chance to pursue a Stanley Cup. That’s why the Blackhawks did Foligno “a solid” by sending him to Minnesota.

As for the Wild, they get a proven leader. Foligno is a 1,200-game veteran and a consummate grinder. He should fit in well with Minnesota as they look to slay the dragons of the Central Division.

As for “future considerations,” the Blackhawks should not expect to get anything. The one thing the Blackhawks do gain out of this trade is cap space. So, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Blackhawks take a toxic contract from a team looking to clear cap space in exchange for a sweetener.

The Blackhawks will need to make the cap floor next season. So, that might be something to take into consideration heading into the final hours of this NHL trade deadline.