LeBrun: Blue Jackets rejected to trade 2024 4OA for Chicago's 2025 1st round pick unprotected

[Stephen]

Chicago was trying to accelerate their build by pushing forward lottery picks into their system. Makes sense...

But also looking back at the organizational damage Chicago had to inflict on themselves to even get themselves into Bedard territory, offloading guys like Dylan Strome, Brandon Hagel, Kirby Dach, they really had to take many steps backwards...

 

[Guttersniped]

I thought I heard at the time that the Habs could still win the lottery as staying put didn't mean a win.

Stupid language.

This has clearer language, and says teams can’t advance twice via the lottery, so staying put doesn’t mean a win.

NHL Records

records.nhl.com

 

[dirtydanglez]

thats one of the trades that you worry will haunt you 5-10 years down the road but i fully see why columbus passed when offered the trade.

 

[AcerComputer]

Right, only the Hawks Bedard win counts.....

Habs as well in the Slafkovsky draft didn't count. 3 out of the 4 last first overalls didn't count towards the rule

The rule says these new rules are effective as of 2022 draft.

 

[Breakers]

I don’t think this is that big of a deal

If it was something like 9th overall

 

[Pablo El Perro]

Teams don't trade draft picks like that unless it's a later pick this year for an unknown next year

 

[HawksDub89]

Why are people over complicating the lottery rules?

The rule is centered around advancing in the lottery. If you finish 2nd and pick 2nd you aren’t advancing. Not that complicated.

 

[HawksDub89]

Would have been a gamble for Columbus. Even if Chicago finishes with the worst record, they'd still have a 55.7% chance (assuming Tankathon did its calculation correctly) of picking #3. I haven't done a deep dive into the 2025 crop so I don't know if guys like Frondell/Misa/McQueen are clearly ahead of Lindstrom at this point.

Closest I could think of was Chicago giving up the #4 pick in 1999 to Vancouver for Bryan McCabe and a 2000 1st. Brian Burke had to pay a premium and include a young NHL defender despite being the 2nd worst team in the NHL in 1998-99; Other variable being Atlanta starting in 1999 plus two more expansion teams for the 2000 Draft. Vancouver's 2000 1st would end up being 11th.

Chicago originally had hopes that he could be the ones to get both Sedins. But once Brian Burke declared that wouldn't trade out of #3, Chicago pivoted and traded #4 partly because they didn't want to gamble and get defaulted to Pavel Brendl.

I would say only Martone, Misa, Hagens and Schaefer are better prospects than Lindstrom. I’d definitely take him over Frondell

Not by much though, at the time I completely understand being intrigued with Lindstrom.

 

[ThisIsMyAlibi]

Disaster of a decision.

Lindstrom may never be able to stay healthy enough to be a pro hockey player. At the very least, there’s no way he goes in the top 10 if they had a redo. Passing up what might be the 1OA and is at minimum going to realistically be a top 5 pick is going to set that franchise back even more.

Yeah, tragic but very CBJ. Took a teenager with a bad back in the top 5.

 

[SteelCityCannon]

Yeah, tragic but very CBJ. Took a teenager with a bad back in the top 5.

Wayyyyy too early to be judging. Ridiculous.

 

[ThisIsMyAlibi]

Wayyyyy too early to be judging. Ridiculous.

Are most back surgeries successful?

Is having a partial disk removal as a teenager correlated with positive long-term outcomes?

does playing an elite level heavy contact sport predispose somebody with back issues to further back issues?

There were players of comparable skill and talent available. They elected to take the biggest medical red flag regardless.

 

[SteelCityCannon]

Are most back surgeries successful?

Is having a partial disk removal as a teenager correlated with positive long-term outcomes?

does playing an elite level heavy contact sport predispose somebody with back issues to further back issues?

There were players of comparable skill and talent available. They elected to take the biggest medical red flag regardless.

It absolutely may come back to bite them. Calling it tragic 5 months after the kids drafted is a little much. Plenty of players have had this procedure.

I guess I'll put it this way. If he has the potential to become the player the Jackets think he can, it's still worth it. If he never plays and retires at 21 and Demidov becomes a god then it's a disaster. Way too early to tell now.

 

[Viqsi]

It absolutely may come back to bite them. Calling it tragic 5 months after the kids drafted is a little much. Plenty of players have had this procedure.

I guess I'll put it this way. If he has the potential to become the player the Jackets think he can, it's still worth it. If he never plays and retires at 21 and Demidov becomes a god then it's a disaster. Way too early to tell now.

Oh, pish tosh. Why show restraint and reserve judgement when we can be vocally angry and bitter now?

 

[kmwtrucks]

with the Blackhawks having the worst record in the league and the offer was there 1st and 2nd next year, and Cayden has had a second back surgery. I think if they could reverse that and do the trade now they would.

 

[Fatass]

with the Blackhawks having the worst record in the league and the offer was there 1st and 2nd next year, and Cayden has had a second back surgery. I think if they could reverse that and do the trade now they would.

And the Jackets could have used those picks to acquire current nhl players if they wanted to. The value of the Hawks’ 2025 first (unprotected) would be extremely high.

 

[Baksfamous112]

They did it for good reasons:

1) 1 year of development lost
2) You never know how the team will perform the next year
3) GMs have a life shelf. You don’t want to f*** up your job and give the ammo to the next guy coming up after you.
4) Cayden pick was irrelevant. Could have been Demidov and logic would have remained the same

 

[kmwtrucks]

They did it for good reasons:

1) 1 year of development lost
2) You never know how the team will perform the next year
3) GMs have a life shelf. You don’t want to f*** up your job and give the ammo to the next guy coming up after you.
4) Cayden pick was irrelevant. Could have been Demidov and logic would have remained the same

I understand why they rejected it at the time. The issue is it looks like they made the wrong Decesion. would you rather have pick 1-3/4 in this coming draft. looks to be 3-4 high end forwards and 1 elite D. plus pick 32-34 or Cayden? Hagens, martone, Schafer, Misa frondell and another good propspect in the early 30's

 

[Baksfamous112]

I understand why they rejected it at the time. The issue is it looks like they made the wrong Decesion. would you rather have pick 1-3/4 in this coming draft. looks to be 3-4 high end forwards and 1 elite D. plus pick 32-34 or Cayden? Hagens, martone, Schafer, Misa frondell and another good propspect in the early 30's

Of course I would but at the time of making the decision we didn’t have the information we had back then. For example, last year, Philly was supposed to be a bottom 3 team and overachieved and finished with the 12th pick. This year, everyone said Calgary would be a bottom 3 team yet they have a positive record after 25% of the season.

If Columbus makes that trade and Chicago go on a run this year then it’s a fireable offence for any GM in the league. Plus, as I said, if you make that trade, you lose 1 (precious) year of development for a top 5 pick. It doesn’t make any sense.

Now, we can talk about whether Lindstrom was the right pick or not at 4 but that’s a completely different topic

 

[Castle8130]

As a Hawks fan, I'd much rather have Demidov in our system than the chance to get the 1st oa pick this year. Kyle should've added more to get this deal done

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Oh, pish tosh. Why show restraint and reserve judgement when we can be vocally angry and bitter now?

It’s just the exact same thing as not trading a pick “this” year for a for a pick “next” year. It’s just not done.

 

[stevo61]

Are most back surgeries successful?

Is having a partial disk removal as a teenager correlated with positive long-term outcomes?

does playing an elite level heavy contact sport predispose somebody with back issues to further back issues?

There were players of comparable skill and talent available. They elected to take the biggest medical red flag regardless.

yes actually, it does have a high success rate

 

[HuGort]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1806888994413658511

Pretty crazy I'd say.

I would have asked for Hawks '26 first pick also. See how bad they wanted Demidov?

 

[Frank Drebin]

I will trade montreals first pick, unprotected, in 2026 plus a second round pick for chicagos first in 2025

 

[Mrfenn92]

I will trade montreals first pick, unprotected, in 2026 plus a second round pick for chicagos first in 2025

No thanks sir

 

[Protas Zealots]

I think Columbus messed up poaching Waddell from Carolina and making him supreme overlord of their hockey org. He was pretty much the rolodex guy with every other GM's home phone number with Tulsky/committee being the brains. His last supreme overlord tenure in Atlanta gave us the gem that was Coburn for Zhitnik

It would make sense rejecting this trade if Columbus drafted Demidov since he could comfortably be better than any player in 2025, but they rejected it to get a guy with a much lower offensive ceiling... whose calling card is physical play... and who already has serious back problems at 18. If Columbus completely ruled out Demidov (which seems dumb given that they have a ton of Russians successfully integrated into their team and need top end offensive talent in the pipeline more than anything) then something like 4th overall and Laine for 18th overall and a the unprotected 1st rounder with conditions if its not bottom 10 would have been a major win.