The Ottawa Senators acquired Alex DeBrincat, one of the best young players in the NHL today, in a blockbuster trade with the Chicago Blackhawks.
In return, the Senators send three draft picks to the Blackhawks, including the seventh overall pick in Thursday’s NHL Entry Draft. The Blackhawks will also receive the No. 39 pick in the 2022 draft and a third-round pick in 2024.
“The acquisition of Alex brings immediate and additional firepower to our frontcourt,” Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said in a statement. “He is a dynamic forward who is a scoring threat when he is in the offensive zone. He maintains great vision, has exceptional skills and a quality shot that helps him score from almost every part of the ice. He is a consistent player and underrated playmaker who Senators fans will surely enjoy watching play in Ottawa.”
DeBrincat, 24, now has two 41-goal seasons on his resume in just five seasons, including last season when he also set a career high with 78 points. Just 5-foot-7, he originally fell to the second round in the 2016 draft, though he put up heaps of points in the OHL and continues to be a scoring threat in the NHL.
He has one season remaining on his $6.4 million cap hit contract and will be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2023. However, DeBrincat’s 2022-23 salary will be $9 million — the same amount as his qualifying offer next summer — meaning a big contract extension is coming up.
The move is the first significant deal made by Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson as the club embarks on a full rebuild. With this trade, the Blackhawks now have a first-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft after their own pick (No. 6) was previously traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Seth Jones deal a year ago.
The Blackhawks are reportedly gauging trade interest in a number of key players, including forwards Kirby Dach and Patrick Kane.
“We thank Alex for his tireless dedication to the Blackhawks organization over the past five seasons and wish him the best in Ottawa,” Davidson said in a statement. “It was an incredibly difficult decision to trade a player of Alex’s caliber. We feel this move sets the Blackhawks up for future success by giving us additional flexibility and future talent. Securing this early first-round pick tonight and an additional second-round selection tomorrow allows us to solidify our prospect base with high-end players who we expect to be difference makers for years to come.
“Even though we didn’t have the first pick in the draft until today, our scouting team anticipated this scenario. I was adamant about going in the first round and we’re excited to move forward and make a pick tonight.”
Earlier in the day, Sportsnet’s Elliot Friedman reported that the Senators and Sabers had a deal in place that would have sent Matt Murray to Buffalo, but Murray blocked that move with his no-trade clause. That deal reportedly would have included the seventh overall pick, which the Senators then used to acquire DeBrincat.
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