Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson deserves high marks

Now that the NHL trade deadline has passed, let's take a look at how the dust has settled for the Blackhawks.

In the big picture, first-year GM Kyle Davidson probably deserves a B-plus for the three deals he made the last week.

Let's start with Brandon Hagel going to Tampa Bay. While true the 23-year-old is a player you can build around, Hagel is also not at a level that you pass up a pair of first-round picks and two talented rookie forwards with plenty of untapped potential.

Hagel had 21 goals in 55 games for the Hawks, but his shooting percentage of 22.1 is not sustainable. Tampa Bay will love Hagel's grittiness and benefit from adding another goal scorer, but the Hawks figure to come out ahead in the long term.

Regardless, it was a bitter pill to swallow for many - including Jonathan Toews. Davidson read Toews' comments in an article posted over the weekend and respects the captain's viewpoints. Still, it's up to the GM to put the franchise's best interests first.

"I don't think it's the job of the player to have to worry about those decisions," Davidson said. "They're focused on the next day and their performance, so our ... responsibilities are a little bit different.

"I respect what he had to say. It doesn't catch me off guard. That's who he is. He wears his heart on his sleeve and that's why he's been so great. ...

"That dialogue is going to remain and he's going to understand everything I'm planning."

On Monday, Davidson shipped goalie Marc-Andre Fleury to Minnesota for a conditional first-round pick. This was a huge win for the Hawks, who need every high draft pick they can get.

The deal went down to the wire, with Wild GM Bill Guerin admitting he was nervous it wouldn't get done. My only complaint: If the pick turns into a second-rounder, I would have made Guerin throw in a fifth- or sixth-rounder. Maybe he balks, maybe he doesn't. But it's a reasonable compromise.

(The pick becomes a second-rounder if Minnesota does not reach the conference finals or Fleury doesn't win four games in the first two rounds.)

Davidson's only other move was sending Ryan Carpenter to Calgary for a fifth-round pick in 2024.

Many expected Calvin de Haan to go to a contender, but it's questionable how much interest there was in a third-pairing defenseman who carries a $4.55 million cap hit. While it may have been nice to acquire a late-round pick or a middling prospect, don't discount the importance of having good locker room guys around who can impart wisdom on up-and-coming blue liners.

I'm a bit surprised nobody made more of a run at Dominik Kubalik, but maybe Davidson's asking price was too high for the slumping forward.

Dylan Strome, who never seemed to get out of Jeremy Colliton's doghouse, has had a heckuva season and would have looked good on a contender. It will be interesting to see what Davidson's plans are for the 25-year-old, who will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this summer. Davidson could sign Strome and make him a cornerstone of the rebuilding project, or he could still trade him in the days leading up to free agency or the draft.

Odds and ends: Here are leftover tidbits from Davidson's news conference Monday:

• Expect to see Lukas Reichel play a few more games this season. "He's playing well down in Rockford," Davidson said of the young forward. "More games (would be) really beneficial for him." Reichel has 19 goals and 24 assists in 42 games for the IceHogs.

• Davidson expects newly acquired Taylor Raddysh and Boris Katchouk to "have an awesome opportunity" with the Hawks. The rookie forwards were contributing in Tampa Bay, but expect their ice time to spike compared to what they were seeing with the Lightning. Said Davidson: "It's a great opportunity for them to establish themselves, make a name for themselves and show what they have outside of a more limited role."