Chicago Blackhawks are now leading Buffalo Sabres in a race to trade first-round picker

It’s been more than a week since the NHL draft lottery, and the Chicago Blackhawks are already being mentioned in trade rumors throughout the league. The club entered the lottery with the second-best odds to capture the top pick in this year’s draft, but dropped to third place after the Islanders won the first overall pick with a 3.5% probability. Even if the team did not receive the desired outcome from the lottery, the third overall pick will continue to play an important role in their current reconstruction. Chicago has made eight first-round picks in the last three years and will make two more in June to add to their excellent crop of young

players.

A trade proposal between the Blackhawks and the Buffalo Sabres was made public on Monday, and this hypothetical deal would have a significant impact on Chicago’s rebuilding efforts.
The Chicago Blackhawks are reportedly interested in Bowen Byram and JJ Peterka. The Blackhawks and Sabres are reportedly trading first-round selections and numerous players. Byram was a first-round pick by the Avalanche in 2019 and had a strong first season in Buffalo this year. The defenceman appeared in all 82 games with the Sabres, scoring seven goals to go with 31 assists. Byram had a +11 plus-minus rating. demonstrating that he can be effective in a prominent role as a two-way blue liner. Adding him to the mix in Chicago would immediately give the

Blackhawks one of the league’s greatest top-four defensive pairs. Peterka was speculated to be a trade possibility for the Blackhawks at the deadline this season, with Buffalo interested in the young forward. He enjoyed another excellent season with the Sabres, scoring 27 goals and adding 41 assists in 77 games. Peterka would improve the Blackhawks’ top-six forward group while allowing some of their key veterans to go into middle-six roles next season. In terms of the guys Chicago would give up in this deal, it is a no-brainer. Reichel might need a change of scenery, and Allan’s ice time on the blue line is already limited. Brossoit has yet to play a game for the franchise, and the arrival of Spencer Knight at the trade deadline does not guarantee him playing time in the cage next season.
Why the Chicago Blackhawks probably won’t do this deal There are two valid reasons why this transaction will fail. One is that Buffalo would be dumping two outstanding talents while receiving little in return in terms of NHL-ready players. Depending on how they perceive Reichel and Allan, Chicago would most likely need to offer more or other young players if they wanted a package that included Peterka and Byram. Another rationale would be the exchange of draft picks. While that is the only way this package makes sense for Buffalo, it is unclear how much general manager Kyle Davidson is ready to trade the third pick. While they would be acquiring tremendous young talent for the future and right now, the third selection might still be an important piece of the puzzle that they do not want to pass up.