Chicago Blackhawks Brings Back a Familiar Face

Just a few more days till the NHL trade deadline, teams are now making the final push acquiring assists to help them during the season and beyond. The Chicago Blackhawks are bringing back a familiar face, acquiring Andrew Ladd from the Winnipeg Jets along with Jay Harrison and Matt Fraser for Marko Daňo, a 2016 1st round pick and a conditional draft pick. Ladd played for the Blackhawks from 2007 season until the 2010 season. Ladd was scratched from tonight game so people were speculating that he would get traded.

Jets are retaining 36 percent of Ladd salary, and the team gets a 3rd round pick in the 2018 draft from Blackhawks if the team wins the cup in the 2018 season.

This season in 59 games Ladd has 17 goals, 17 assist and a plus minus of -7. In a down season for the Jets, Ladd has been having a productive season. He has put up solid numbers while being the leader of the locker room as the captain of the Jets.

The Blackhawks right now are stock piling on talent, getting ready to make a run at the franchise’s forth Stanley Cup in the past seven seasons and repeat as Stanley Cup champions. Ladd brings a veteran leadership to the teams locker room, seeing that he has Stanley Cup Finals and playoff experience. Ladd is a 20 plus goal scoring top six winger.

Expect the team to place him on the first line, maybe even the second line if the first line has no room for him. No matter where he is placed, Ladd will be a productive player for the teams upcoming playoff run. Harrison and Fraser are good depth guys but the main piece of this trade for Chicago is Ladd.

The Jets had to move Ladd. They aren’t contending for a playoff spot and Ladd is a free agent after this season. He had a good trade value, so instead of letting him walk in the summer for nothing, they get a top prospect and a first round pick for him now.

At the end of the day, this trade makes sense for both teams. The Blackhawks bring back a proven veteran top six 20 plus goal scorer a lot that could help out in the playoff run right now in Ladd even though the salary cap for the team is really tight along with some depth guys in Harrison and Fraser.

In the future, the Jets will be loaded with young talent with players like Nikolaj Ehlers, Nic Petan, Mark Scheifele, John Connor, Jack Roslosvic, Joel Amia along with Daňo. The teams looks scary in the future that what the team is building towards right now. It might not look great now, but give the team a few years to let the young guys grow. Once the young talent reach the full potential, Jets will look a major threat in the Western Conference. They also get that first round pick, who could turn out to be a great player in the league.