It’s been a very, very busy week for the Chicago Blackhawks. The trade deadline has come and gone, and the rebuilding Blackhawks were sellers once again. General manager Kyle Davidson can be commended for gaining some value out of a few expiring veteran contracts, as well as doing right by the players.
In the meantime, a much younger and still very inexperienced team is being tasked with taking the next step in their progression, even though a sizeable portion of their support system has been stripped away. Different players will need to step up and fill new roles both on and off the ice. But they’ve been schooled for this. Are they ready for it? I guess we’ll find out.
Let’s discuss the ramifications of this year’s trade deadline moves for the Blackhawks.
Murphy Moved to Edmonton
The first shoe to drop was on Monday, Mar. 2, when defenseman Connor Murphy was traded to the Edmonton Oilers for a 2028 second-round draft pick. Chicago also retained half of Murphy’s $4.4 million cap hit on his contract, which expires at the end of this season. While it’s tough to see the longest tenured member of the Blackhawks go (nine seasons), he wasn’t going to be re-signed next season. Younger defensemen are ready to talk his place on the blue line.
But Murphy will have a chance to finally play postseason hockey, which he’s never done in his 13 seasons in the NHL (which the exception of the Covid bubble playoff in 2020). He’ll be 33 years old on Mar. 26, so time is ticking for the stay-at-home defenseman. Now he’ll have a chance to fulfill that, which is every hockey player’s dream.
Related – Connor Murphy Will Leave Lasting Impression With the Blackhawks
This opens up the door for the other right-handed defensemen on the team to take on a bigger role in Murphy’s stead. 21-year-old Sam Rinzel and 20-year-old Artyom Levshunov will both be given the reins to become everyday players. With Murphy there, head coach Jeff Blashill had to deploy seven defensemen in order to get them both in the lineup. Rinzel then spent some time down with the Rockford IceHogs, and Levshunov was a healthy scratch for three contests before the Olympic break for a “reset” to help solidify better defensive play. Hopefully both those situations have prepared the two young blueliners to take on additional responsibilities and ice time.
Alex Vlasic and Louis Crevier have become the top shutdown pairing for the Blackhawks, but now they’re really going to be tested. With the Blackhawks, Murphy started in the defensive zone 75.8% of the time. Someone is going to have to replace that. In the contest against the Winnipeg Jets on Mar. 3 (the Hawks’ first game without Murphy) Vlasic started 18 defensive zone faceoffs, and Crevier 15. Their previous highs were 12 and nine, respectively. (from ‘What I’m hearing and seeing from the Blackhawks as the NHL trade deadline near’, The AthleticCHI – 3/4/2026).
Dickinson & Dach Traded to Oilers as Well
The second shoe to drop came Wednesday evening (Mar. 4) when the news came out that forwards Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach were also being traded to the Oilers. It’s obvious Edmonton is making additions for a strong playoff push, and now they will have three former Blackhawks at their disposal. Dickinson, similar to Murphy, isn’t getting any younger in that he’s 30 years old. He also hasn’t seen playoff action since the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons as a member of the Dallas Stars.
The Blackhawks retained half of Dickinson’s salary, which was their third and final retention slot for this season. Dach appears to be the sweetener thrown in to coerce Oiler’s general manager Stan Bowman to give up a 2027 first-round pick, which is top-12 protected.
Coming to the Blackhawks in the deal is forward Andrew Mangiapane, who was basically a salary dump for the Oilers. He carries a cap hit of $3.6 million through the 2026-27 season, but the Blackhawks could use that to help them reach the cap floor next season.
Regarding the loss of Dickinson, his role will be super hard to fill. He was the center on the team’s shutdown line, starting in the defensive zone 76.4% of the time. Nevertheless, he and his linemates often tilted the ice to the Blackhawks’ advantage. Dickinson also took the most draws on the entire team and had the best faceoff percentage (49.5%).
Related – How the Jason Dickinson Trade Impacts the Blackhawks
For now, it looks like Oliver Moore will slot into Dickinson’s 3C spot. This is a great opportunity for Moore, who’s recently been playing on the fourth line. He has more offensive upside than a fourth-line role, and should receive more playing time with this deployment as well. Another candidate to replace Dickinson could be Ryan Greene, who’s 200-foot play and faceoff prowess resemble Dickinson’s. But Greene is currently doing a bang-up job as Connor Bedard’s left wing on the top line. I’m sure the coaching staff is reluctant to separate them.
Dach, for his part, is being given a great opportunity to play for his hometown team, as he grew up in the Edmonton area. He had fallen down in the depth chart with the Blackhawks, and was often-times a healthy scratch. This will be a chance for a fresh start for him.
Foligno’s Farewell
So, the Blackhawks lost their two alternate captains. But that was nothing compared to the gut punch that came on Friday, deadline day itself. The team announced that Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno had been traded to the Minnesota Wild, in exchange for future considerations. He’ll now get to chase a Cup with his younger brother, Marcus.
This is a prime example of two general managers working together to do right by the Foligno family. What a great opportunity they will have. “Nick’s captaincy and leadership have been instrumental in helping our young players develop both on and off the ice,” said GM Davidson. “He’s been an exemplary role model who has helped us set the future culture of Blackhawks hockey over the last three years. It’s bittersweet to see him go, and we wish Nick – and his wife Janelle, and their kids Milana, Landon and Hudson – the best in this special opportunity to play with his brother in Minnesota.”
oh captain, our captain. thank you for leading the way for three seasons and for all you’ve given to Chicago and our organization❤️ pic.twitter.com/SNwQBOXxOr
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 6, 2026
Foligno was with the Blackhawks’ organization just three years, and captain for two, but boy did he make an impact. He will be missed, but he believes he’s set the next leadership group up for success.
Blackhawks Leadership: A Changing of the Guard
In one fell swoop, the Blackhawks’ entire leadership group is gone. Others will now have to fill that void, whether they’re ready or not. But Coach Blashill has made a very good point a few times over the last week. It’s hard for players to show their leadership when somebody else is doing it. Well, that won’t be happening anymore. So who will the new leaders be?
The most obvious candidate for this is Bedard, who’s been the face of the franchise since the Blackhawks selected him first overall in the 2023 draft. His elite vision and skill on the ice is matched by a super intense and driven personality, all key components to being a leader.
Bedard wore the “A” on his sweater on Mar. 3 when the Blackhawks played the Winnipeg Jets, the first game Murphy was gone. Postgame, Blashill confirmed Bedard would wear the letter for the rest of the season. He said he’d earned it because of his ongoing commitment to winning hockey, his competitiveness and work ethic. But it was Foligno was put it best the day before he was traded.
I think you’re just seeing the maturation of a 20-year-old, soon to be 21-year-old. The weight that he’s carried already at a young age, and how he seemed to be able to handle that. Especially this year, I think he’s just really comfortable with who he is and what he means this team, on and off the ice. So I think it’s a no-brainer in all our eyes for how he’s led us and what he does on a nightly basis and daily basis in here. So it’s exciting for him to get that opportunity. And it’s gonna be part of who he is. I mean, he’s a leader of this team. He’s gonna be a guy that this franchise stands on for a long time. So it’s exciting that his journey has started. We need to see who else rises to the challenge of leadership in here. Hopefully myself, Murph and Dickie didn’t screw up too bad, and can make sure we hand it off to the right people.
Blashill further announced on Friday morning that Tyler Bertuzzi would be the other alternate captain for the remainder of the season. They will assess a permanent captain and leadership group after this season is over. Said Blashill on Bertuzzi,
Tyler’s earned it big time. He’s a great voice in the locker room. Fun to be around. But most importantly, the way that he’s played and his approach. He’s been a great model of winning hockey night in and night out. He cares defensively, he sacrifices his body. He does all the little things offensively. He’s been an excellent, excellent example of what winning hockey looks like.
I could see Vlasic or Frank Nazar being potential candidates as alternate captains moving forward. That that’s a problem for next season. For now, it appears the Blackhawks are in good hands with Bedard and Bertuzzi.
Other Blackhawks Deadline Notes
As mentioned above, Mangiapane will be the new member joining the Blackhawks. The 29-year-old hasn’t lived up to expectations this season in Edmonton, registering just seven goals and 14 points in 52 games. Edmonton actually just put him on waivers and he was sent to the AHL team, the Bakersfield Condors.
Coach Blashill said on Thursday (Mar. 5) that Mangiapane would have a clean slate with the Blackhawks, and would have a chance to prove himself at the NHL level. He mentioned good work ethic, speed and an offensive touch that Mangiapane could bring to the table. In his press conference on Friday (Mar. 6), Davidson referred to Mangiapane as a “very motivated player.” He will make his Blackhawks’ debut Friday night against the Vancouver Canucks.
Related – How Blackhawks Are Navigating the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline
The Blackhawks did make one final transaction right before the 2 p.m. Central deadline. The traded Rockford IceHogs’ forward Aidan Thompson to the New York Rangers for 32-year-old journeyman defenseman Derrick Pouliot. It appears the Blackhawks didn’t see a place for the 24-year-old Thompson in the organization. Davidson indicated on Friday Pouliot will join the IceHogs. He played 52 games this season with the AHL Hartford Wolfpack.
Forward Ilya Mikheyev and defenseman Matt Grzelcyk were brought up in some trade rumors, but they are both still with the organization for the remainder of the season. The Blackhawks did make Mikheyev an offer, but he turned down the original offer. Davidson said he really likes what Mikheyev brings to the team, and they will see if they can work something out in the future.
In regards to Grzelcyk, he’s now the only veteran on the back end. He’s also fit in quite well, and his experience and calm demeanor will be an asset at least until the end of the season. Time will tell whether he remains with the team beyond that.
The Ultimate Goal: No More Selling at the Deadline!
The last takeaway that came out of the deadline is the demeanor in the locker room. Nobody likes to be sellers, and this young team appears to be sick of saying goodbye to their buddies this time of year. Bedard talked addressed how hard it was to lose both Dickinson and Dach.
Yeah, yesterday was really tough. Like Dickie, I’ve been with the whole time. He’s kind of like an older brother to me, someone I spent a lot of time with. So it sucks. It’s part of what we do, but that sucks. And Dacher as well, is someone; two weeks ago me, him and Greener were on vacation talking about after we win the Cup, we would go back and stuff like that. So yeah, it’s hard.
It’s motivating that this is the last year that we’re in a spot where we’re moving guys that help us win games. So that’s a shitty feeling. So just try to not let that happen (again).
Vlasic concurred.
It is a little bit more sad just to kind of lose some of your buddies potentially. But yeah, definitely, we talked about it as a team. We want to become a team where we’re not losing anybody, we’re keeping the guys that we have in here because everybody’s contributing, and pushing that effort to make playoffs and potentially being a contender. So over the next couple years we hope to be a team that’s not selling, and potentially we can be buying and adding to our great group in here.
Ah, wouldn’t that be nice! Everyone wants to win, and this young group is hungry. They’re working hard on the process and taking incremental steps every day. They’ve had great role models to pave the way. They now hold the keys to their future. It’s just a matter of how fast they can turn things around.
