Less than three hours prior to the official start of the 2022 NHL Draft, the trade gears started churning in the City of Montreal. Looking to acquire a pair of picks in advance of the annual selection process, the Chicago Blackhawks traded forward Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators for a handful of draft choices.
A deal first broken by Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, the Blackhawks have acquired a 2022 first-round pick (seventh overall), a 2022 second-round pick (39th overall), and a 2024 third-round selection. In acquiring the Farmington Hills, MI native, the Senators add more raw talent to their young core, which already consists of Josh Norris, Drake Batherson, Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk.
Playing his fifth NHL season with the Blackhawks in 2021-22, the 24-year-old, across 82 contests, tallied 78 points on 41 goals and 37 assists, a performance which saw the right-winger earn his dues with an NHL All-Star selection. DeBrincat was appointed an alternate captain in 2020-21, a captaincy role which he retained for a second campaign.
“Alex’s acquisition brings immediate and additional firepower to our forward group,” said Senators general manager Pierre Dorion. “He’s a dynamic forward who’s a scoring threat to the opponent when in the attacking zone. He maintains great vision, has exceptional skill and a quality shot which helps him score from virtually any part of the ice. He’s a consistent performer and an underrated playmaker who Senators’ fans are certain to enjoy watching play in Ottawa.”
DeBrincat was selected by the Blackhawks in the second-round (39th overall) at the 2016 NHL Draft. He quickly made his mark over 360 games in the Windy City, amassing 307 points on 160 goals and 147 assists. Additionally, DeBrincat has skated in nine NHL playoff games, where he has collected six points on two goals and four assists. Today, DeBrincat is one of only 40 all-time Blackhawks to register 300 points for the franchise.
Internationally, DeBrincat has partaken in three tournaments with USA Hockey, most recently helping guide his home country to a bronze medal finish at the 2019 IIHF World Championship in Slovakia. Starting in each of the team’s eight contests, DeBrincat collected nine points, which included a team-best seven goals tallied.
“We thank Alex for his tireless dedication to the Blackhawks organization over the last five seasons and wish him the best in Ottawa,” said Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson. “It was an incredibly difficult decision to trade a player of Alex’s calibre. We feel as if this move sets the Blackhawks up for future success by giving us additional flexibility and future talent. Securing this early of a first-round pick for tonight and an additional second-round selection tomorrow allows us to fortify our prospect base with high-end players who we expect to be difference makers in the coming years.
“Although we didn’t have a first pick in the draft until today, our scouting staff has been anticipating this scenario. I have been clear in my desire to move into the first round, and we are excited to move up and make a pick this evening.”