The Chicago Blackhawks made a rare pre-draft trade with the New York Islanders to acquire the 18th overall pick, one selection before the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Chicago Blackhawks made a rare pre-draft trade with the New York Islanders to acquire the 18th overall pick, one selection before the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Blackhawks traded their 20th, 54th and 61st overall picks for the 18th and the 50th pick. Most trades that are purely transactions involving draft picks happen on draft day, and this year's draft is in Vegas on June 28-29.
There are several reasons why the Blackhawks may have wanted to make this deal so early. The reasoning that is connected most with the Golden Knights is because the Blackhawks fear the Golden Knights will take the player they are targeting.
The trade has implications for the Golden Knights and could alter their plans. If the Blackhawks do select the player the Golden Knights are targeting, they'll have the option to either select another player or trade back to acquire more draft capital.
As of now, it's unclear who the Blackhawks will be taking with the second overall pick. The debate has been between Ivan Demidov, a talented winger and an all-around NCAA defenseman in Artyom Levshunov. The Blackhawks have one of the deepest prospect pools in the league and are likely to select the opposite of their second pick with their 18th pick.
The Golden Knights are full of surprises but this time, they were the ones who were surprised. The Golden Knights' next move is one to watch.
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