Kyle Davidson wasn’t sure what to expect from the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline on March 8. The Chicago Blackhawks’ general manager was one year removed from a busy deadline, and his team was in the same position: near the bottom of the standings, with no hope for the playoffs and a number of players with expiring contracts.
It turns out the Blackhawks were one of the quieter teams before 2 p.m. CT, with no players being moved on deadline day itself and only one Blackhawks-related transaction with another team taking place.
“Heading into it, I thought there would be a little more activity; whether we did something or not was a different story,” Davidson said at his post-deadline press conference. “I just thought there would be a little more action on our end, but it was quieter, which is fine.”
Related: 10 Blackhawks Thoughts Heading Into the Trade Deadline
Now that the deadline has come and gone, here are five takeaways from what the team did leading up to March 8 and where they stand with 19 games to go (as of March 9) in the 2023-24 regular season.
1. Blackhawks Trade Beauvillier to Predators
The only deal the Blackhawks made leading up to the trade deadline was moving the same player they acquired three months earlier, shipping forward Anthony Beauvillier to the Nashville Predators for a fifth-round pick in 2024.
Brought in after the team terminated Corey Perry’s contract, the Blackhawks were hoping Beauvillier, who’s in the last season of a three-year, $12.45 million deal, would add some much-needed offense. Instead, the 26-year-old Beauvillier scored two goals and four assists for six points in 23 games, going without a point in his last 10 games.
Now, the Predators hope the one-time 40-point winger can provide depth scoring on a team trying to make the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks get a fifth-round pick that … could maybe become … probably nothing. According to a Dobber Prospects feature from 2020, only 7.5 percent of fifth-round picks played at least 100 games in the NHL. Better than nothing, I guess.
2. Senators Claim Katchouk off waivers
The only Blackhawks-related story to come out of the day was forward Boris Katchouk being claimed off waivers by the Ottawa Senators.
The 25-year-old Katchouk scored five goals and four assists for nine points in 38 games this season. He spent parts of three seasons with the Blackhawks’ organization, scoring 11 goals and 15 assists for 26 points, averaging 11:51 of ice time in 117 games.
According to NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis, the team expected to assign Katchouk to the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs if he cleared waivers to be part of their playoff push.
Related: Chicago Blackhawks Mock Trade Deadline for 2024
Coming to Chicago from the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Brandon Hagel trade, there was plenty of hope that Katchouk, a second-round pick in 2016, would carve out a spot in the lineup. However, inconsistency left much to be desired by coaches and management, so much so that the team placed Katchouk on waivers and sent him to the IceHogs in December.
There were moments during Katchouk’s time with the Blackhawks when you could see a talented player who would be a regular in the NHL. There were other times when you pulled your hair out and hit the delete button on your keyboard. But echoing the thoughts of my THW colleague Gail Kauchak, Katchouk grew on me.
Best of luck with the Senators, hopefully he’s able to carve out a role for himself.
3. Players Sent Down for AHL Playoff Run
The Blackhawks sent down defenders Louis Crevier and Isaak Phillips and forward Zach Sanford to the IceHogs so they could be eligible for the AHL post-season.
I’m interested in seeing how Crevier and Phillips perform as the season winds down and what kind of role they have for Rockford if they make the playoffs. Both have had shots at getting some decent ice time with the Blackhawks, and I expect them to log in big minutes with the IceHogs.
Both players will be restricted free agents after the season, and I’m curious to see if the team qualifies for one or both of them. Regardless of how the rest of the 2023-24 campaign plays out, I’d like for them to come back. Defensemen take time to develop, and I’d rather see them do it with the Blackhawks than elsewhere.
4. Hall Skates for the First Time Since November 27
By God, that’s Taylor Hall’s music! The forward was skating in a non-contact jersey for the first time since having surgery for a torn ACL on November 27.
There is nothing to add here besides that I’m happy to see the former Hart Trophy winner skating. One of the first stories I wrote for THW was about Hall’s arrival and how he could shape Connor Bedard’s future. Obviously, that wasn’t the case, as Hall dealt with injuries and only played 10 games, scoring two goals and two assists for four points.
Hall, 32, has one more season on a four-year, $24 million contract he signed with Boston before the 2021-22 campaign. All you can hope for is a healthy Hall that can provide some veteran experience on the wing and help further the development of your 2023 No. 1 overall pick in Bedard.
What to Expect as 2023-24 Winds Down
I’ve said it before, and I’ll repeat it: the Blackhawks aren’t very good. Before beating the Arizona Coyotes on March 5, Chicago had lost 15 of their last 16 games. They won just one game in February. Their win against the Coyotes was their first road win since November 9 — also Hall’s last game of the season.
With 19 games to go (as of March 9), what can you expect? Well, players on expiring contracts are going to step up their game, so they leave a good taste in the mouths of management and other clubs around the league. One of those players is Colin Blackwell, who was the most likely candidate in my eyes to be traded before the deadline. Since he’s staying, I’d expect he will try to make the most of his remaining time before becoming a free agent on July 1.
Forward Tyler Johnson has 12 goals and 21 points through 48 games and is another player who will become a free agent this summer. As someone who won two Stanley Cup championships with the Lightning in 2020 and 2021, I was curious if a team would take a flyer on him to provide some bottom-six depth for a playoff run. But once the deadline passed, he was still a Blackhawk. Johnson had a three-assist performance against the Coyotes on March 5; let’s see if that fuels a strong finish to his campaign and earns him a one-year deal somewhere next season.
Related: Blackhawks Beat Coyotes to Snap 22-Game Road Losing Streak
As for the rest of the team, all you can hope for is good health and even better development. Some thought the Blackhawks would take a small step forward in their rebuild after drafting Bedard and signing multiple proven veterans last summer. Still, injuries and generally mediocre play have this team near the bottom of the standings for a second straight season.
We’ll see if Chicago ends up drafting No. 1 overall again this summer. When it comes to the present, let’s see who coaches and management want to keep on this roster beyond 2023-24.