Blackhawks trade Brandon Hagel to Tampa Bay for a haul

It’s trade deadline season, and Kyle Davidson had no problem setting the tone to help kickstart this Chicago Blackhawks rebuild.

Full trade:

It was said that Brandon Hagel wouldn’t be traded unless they got an amazing offer that blew the Blackhawks front office away, this certainly did.

It’s gonna suck seeing Hagel not playing in Chicago. The 110% effort he brought every game was so much fun to watch, but it’s also gonna be nice to see him get to play in Tampa Bay and compete for a Stanley Cup. All that being said, the haul they got for him was crazy.

While they didn’t get a 2022 first round pick, it’s likely it would’ve been late 20s to early 30s anyway because the Lightning seem destined for another deep playoff run. I like the gamble that Davidson made going after the 2023 and 2024 first round picks. The hope is that Tampa will decline a bit and those picks might be in the early to mid 20s instead, as well as the 2023 draft being super stacked.

As for the players they got back, Boris Katchouk and Taylor Raddysh are good bets to be middle six NHL contributors. Both 2016 draft picks, the two excelled in juniors, in the AHL, but haven’t quite figured it out yet at the NHL level. They’ll certainly be given a chance in Chicago. They’re big bodies and are over 6’2” and 200 pounds, as well as the same age as Hagel, 23.

What a journey it’s been for Brandon Hagel. From being a sixth round pick in 2016, to not being signed by Buffalo, going to Montreal’s training camp, being signed by Chicago, then being traded for multiple firsts to the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions Tampa Bay. So proud for him.

Taylor Raddysh is also reunited with his Erie Otters buddies Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome. It would be awesome to see that trio get a chance.

Interesting to see what Davidson’s next moves will be. He still has Calvin De Haan and Dominik Kubalik as main targets to move.