The Chicago Blackhawks are one of the worst teams in the NHL and will look to bolster their offense this offseason.
The website PuckPedia’s PuckGM tool lets users create their own trades. One user proposed a deal that would see the Blackhawks acquiring Anthony Duclair from the New York Islanders.
Blackhawks acquire:
- Anthony Duclair
- 2025 second-round pick
Islanders acquire:
- Philipp Kurashev
- T.J. Brodie
- 2025 fourth-round pick
The proposed deal is an intriguing one, and that does make sense for both teams. Chicago would acquire a legit NHL forward and a second-round pick for a young forward, a veteran defenseman, and a pick.
Chicago would acquire Duclair, who signed a four-year, $14 million deal with the Islanders last offseason but has struggled to fit in. Duclair is a one-time NHL All-Star, and this season, he’s recorded 7 goals and 4 assists for 11 points in 44 games, as it’s been a disappointing year.
In return, New York would acquire Kurashev, who’s a pending RFA. Kurashev is a 25-year-old centerman, but he has struggled to fit in with Chicago and could use a change of scenery. He’s recorded 6 goals and 6 assists for 12 points in 46 games.
The Islanders would also acquire Brodie, who’s a veteran defenseman. He signed a two-year, $7.5 million deal with the Blackhawks this past summer and is a solid third-line defenseman.
Blackhawks GM Expected More Out of Team
Chicago is in the midst of a rebuild, but after selecting Connor Bedard two years ago, the hope was that the Blackhawks would be more competitive.
However, that hasn’t been the case as Chicago has the second-worst record in the NHL and will be in line for another top pick. Although it’s been a disappointing year, Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson believes the team is making the right strides to being competitive.
“For this group at the NHL level, I did expect a little more and we made a coaching change because of that,” Davidson said on January 27. “That’s a pretty big indicator that I didn’t feel the group was where they needed to be. So, that in itself is disappointing, but a macro level and much higher-level view, I’m really excited and really happy with where things are headed. Like you said, the NHL team, I wish we did have a little more success here in the first half than we have. But it doesn’t diminish the progress I think we’re making big picture.”
A way to make that happen is to add more talent around Bedard, and Duclair could be someone Chicago looks to target.
Duclair Granted Time Away After Coach’s Ridicule
Duclair has been given a leave of absence from the Islanders after head coach Patrick Roy blasted him in the media.
After the Islanders’ 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 1, he criticized Duclair for his play and effort.
“He was god-awful,” Roy said. “He had a bad game. That’s why I didn’t play him a lot. He is lucky to be in the lineup. Sorry if I lose it on him right now, but that’s just how I feel. He’s not skating, he’s not competing, he’s not moving his feet. He’s not playing up to what we expect from him… I think it’s an effort thing.”
After the criticism, Roy revealed on April 3 that Duclair has stepped away from the team to reflect.
“Obviously you saw that Anthony was not at practice today,” Roy said. “This morning, Anthony and I had a very good conversation. A very positive one, and Anthony asked me to take some time off and reflect. So I obviously agreed to that, and we’ll give him all the time that he needs.”
Duclair has skated in 607 career NHL games.
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