NHL Trade Buzz: Newly Available Second Overall Pick Could Be Blackhawks’ Next Big Get

After the Chicago Blackhawks were among the first to break the ice in trade deadline week by shipping defenseman Connor Murphy to the Oilers, the NHL news kept coming—especially on the defensive end with veteran blueliners. On Wednesday, the Stars picked up 36-year-old Tyler Myers from the Canucks, the Sabres got 32-year-old Colton Parayko from the Blues, and the Mammoth acquired 32-year-old MacKenzie Weegar from the Flames.

But a market that hasn’t exactly been tapped this week is blueliners who are much younger. Chicago has no real use for veteran rentals at this point, of course—they’re building for the long term and prioritizing young talent, as they have at each of the past several deadlines. In past years, that has meant stockpiling draft picks, much like they did on Monday with the Oilers.

This year, the Blackhawks could instead go get a player who could fit perfectly into their long-term plans. According to Pierre LeBrun, the Devils are taking calls on 22-year-old Simon Nemec, the second overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.

It makes sense that New Jersey is shopping Nemec—he’s set to hit RFA status this summer at the end of his entry-level contract, and the Devils’ cap space cupboards are bare. They’ve got plenty of right-handed defensemen, and they can’t move 32-year-old Dougie Hamilton and his $9 million-AAV contract, so the next-best bet may be Nemec, who has been solid this year with 21 points and a plus-one mark on a team toward the bottom of the Metropolitan Division.

Rumors around the league are that most teams are viewing Nemec as having the ceiling of a solid No. 2 defenseman—maybe not the bona fide No. 1 guy the Devils were hoping to get, but still great value for any team.

But could that team be the Blackhawks? It’s worth a shot. After dealing Murphy, Chicago only has three right-handed blueliners on their active roster. There aren’t many coming down the pipeline anytime soon. If GM Kyle Davidson sees his RHD side as a bit thin, Nemec could be a huge addition. At 22 years old, he would be the Blackhawks’ seventh blueliner aged 24 or younger, so no worries there. They certainly have the cap space to sign him to a long-term deal without a squeeze.

If New Jersey is willing to move him, they’ll probably be looking for a solid goal-scorer in return to join their top six. The Blackhawks have plenty of them—Tyler Bertuzzi, Teuvo Teravainen, or Ryan Donato alone won’t be enough to get the job done, but pairing them with significant draft compensation might. Chicago owns two first-rounders and three second-rounders this year, and now would be as good of a time to use them as any. After all, the Blackhawks’ pipeline is already stocked, and more additions would just force tough decisions. Could Teravainen and a reasonably high draft pick get the job done? It’s worth a shot.