Trade Alert: Blackhawks make 2nd trade in the past 24 hours

This just in, the Chicago Blackhawks have made yet another move ahead of the NHL's March 3rd trade deadline, this time hooking up with the Anaheim Ducks on a relatively minor transaction.

The Blackhawks have received defenseman Hunter Drew in exchange for forward Josiah Slavin.

Check it out:

The 24 year old Drew is listed as a forward in the Blackhawks' announcement, but he's actually a defenseman. So... I hope they know exactly who they're getting...

In any case, Drew has played mostly with the Ducks' AHL affiliate San Diego Gulls this season where he has put up five goals and 11 points in 44 games. As for Slavin, he's sort of in the same boat as Drew. The 24 year old Slavin has three goals and 11 points in 51 games this season all with the Blackhawks' AHL affiliate Rockford IceHogs. He has 15 NHL games under his belt. 

To be honest this looks like a bit of a change of scenery trade for both players in the hopes that they can kick start their NHL careers.

As for the Blackhawks, this is their second trade in just the last 24 hours. In case you missed it yesterday, they acquired defenseman Nikita Zaitsev, a 2nd-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and a 4th-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for... literally nothing. All the Blackahwks had to do was absorb Zaitsev's contract in order to score the two draft picks. With that deal, the Blackhawks now have 10 draft picks in this June's draft, with five selections in the top 60 and two selections in the top 30. Not a bad strategy if you're looking to rebuild your roster in a relatively short amount of time.

Of course, all eyes are on Blackhawks legend Patrick Kane. What will the team elect to do with him between now and the deadline? There have been numerous reports linking him to the New York Rangers, but there's a belief out there that the Edmonton Oilers are hot and heavy on him, as well.