The deal:
Chicago Blackhawks get: C Dylan Strome, LW Brendan Perlini
Arizona Coyotes get: C Nick Schmaltz
Blackhawks: A-
One day, Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman will realize that he can make trades with teams besides the Coyotes. By that time, perhaps there will be nobody left on Arizona's roster whom Bowman covets. For now, Bowman added two talented young players with high ceilings who never quite reached their potential in the desert.
Let's start with the obvious: The Blackhawks faced a contract conundrum with Nick Schmaltz, a 2014 first-round pick whom they liked a lot but who never found consistency (though he flashed terrific chemistry with Patrick Kane at times). Schmaltz has recorded just two goals and 11 points in 23 games this season. The 22-year-old's entry-level contract expires at the end of this season.
In picking up Strome (with an average annual value of $863,333 through the 2019-20 season) and Perlini (AAV $863,333 through 2018-19), Chicago gets forwards who are cheap and without long-term commitment. Strome, who should plug in at second-line center, thrived in the OHL with current Blackhawk Alex DeBrincat on his wing, so there's hope that they rekindle the magic.
The biggest point, though? Since neither Strome nor Perlini developed through the Blackhawks' system, it will be easier for Bowman to make an unemotional decision about whether they are worth a second contract. It wasn't going to be that easy for Schmaltz. Should Strome or Perlini (or both) excel, Chicago can offer a prove-it or bridge deal that doesn't stray away from the larger goal of the rebuild.
About that rebuild: Even after the dramatic firing of Joel Quenneville and promotion of Jeremy Colliton just 15 games into the season, management has shied away from using that word. It's more of a retooling, management insists. Perhaps that is just couching it, because for a true rebuild, Chicago would need to move one of its biggest contracts off the books, and most of those players (Kane, Jonathan Toews, Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith) have no-movement clauses.
Schmaltz, Perlini and Strome are three recent first-round picks age 22 or younger who might still reach their potential. One of them might get there. Two of them might get there. Heck, maybe all three. In this trade, Chicago doubles its chances by betting on two of these players. It's low-risk, high-reward, and the roster is no worse than it was yesterday. That's a win for a contract-strapped GM such as Bowman.
Coyotes: B-
One of the biggest trends in the NHL this season? The change-of-scenery trade. This month alone, we've seen the New York Rangers flip struggling Ryan Spooner to Edmonton for the also-slumping Ryan Strome (Dylan's brother) and the Penguins send Carl Hagelin to Los Angeles in exchange for Tanner Pearson.
Arizona GM John Chayka has seen this trend firsthand: Max Domi was a budding, young talent who stalled in Arizona, and over the summer, he was traded to Montreal. Now? Domi, who mustered just nine goals and 45 points in 82 games last season, is 26th in league scoring (11 goals, 26 points in 24 games). He has found a new hockey life by wearing a new uniform, unburdened by expectations from the team that drafted him. From that perspective, this trade makes sense for Arizona.
Strome came into the league with great hype after being selected at No. 3 behind Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel. As our prospect expert Chris Peters wrote in October, perhaps no prospect was under more scrutiny this season than Strome, who couldn't find his groove with the Yotes. As Peters also noted, entering this season, 19 of the 30 first-rounders selected in 2015 have played more games than Strome, as have several players picked in rounds two through seven.
Perlini, a 2014 first-rounder, has had a bit more success (with much lesser spotlight) after scoring 17 goals last season. He has been inconsistent, though. But this is still a big risk for Chayka. He is trading away two skilled players in exchange for one skilled player. Even if Chayka ran out of patience on two of the team's more promising talents, he's hedging his bets on Schmaltz, who hasn't been able to perform so far in his prove-it contract year. Schmaltz, of course, could blossom without the pressure of playing in Chicago. He's good friends with Vinnie Hinostroza, another Blackhawks player traded away, and perhaps the two will get each other going in the new surroundings.
Looking at the big picture, the Coyotes were probably going to give up on Strome eventually, and maybe Perlini also. At least Chayka leveraged some value before they left.