Kirby Dach trade: should Chicago regret it?
Every June, the National Hockey League (NHL) hosts the annual draft, where teams select talented players throughout the world who turned 18 years old during the previous season. As in most sports, the teams that did the worst in the previous season get the highest picks unless they trade with another team. The NHL also has a lottery system, where the first two picks (formerly the first 3 until 2022) are left up to a lottery. While the lottery sounds random, the teams with poor records the previous season are most likely to get them. Drafting in the top three overall spots can be a once-in-a-generation opportunity, especially for the Chicago Blackhawks.
Winning three cups in six seasons (‘10, ‘13, ‘15), the team has not had the opportunity to draft very high since drafting Patrick Kane first overall in the 2007 draft. But the lottery luck was in their favor when in 2019, they drew the third overall pick. Drafting Kirby Dach was a huge decision for former General Manager Stan Bowman and the rest of his team, but did they truly pick correctly?
The team drafted Dach third overall in 2019. The strong Canadian centerman had a very successful junior career, including winning a world championship in August 2018. Many thought he’d be a “difference maker” for the future of the Blackhawks; however, his time there was rough. He was unable to play a full normal season due to covid, and also broke his wrist in late 2020 at the world juniors tournament, setting him back. But at just 21 years old, Dach still had a future.
In the June 2022 draft, picks became more important, as the Blackhawks had previously traded away most of their first-round picks. Unfortunately for many fans, Dach became an unexpected casualty. He was traded on draft night from the Blackhawks to the Montreal Canadiens for the 13th and 66th overall pick. Although current GM Kyle Davidson was confident in the bold choice, many fans and statisticians weren’t too pleased. The concerns of the fans have so far appeared to be proven right.
Dach has been very successful just a quarter through the season with 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) in his first 21 games with his new team, including the shootout winner in the United Center on Nov. 23rd, silencing the crowd. He is already lightyears ahead of last year, in which he only achieved 26 points (nine goals, 17 assists) in 70 games. So the question remains, was trading Dach a mistake? Only time will tell.