Not a Chance Chicago does this.

They are 82 Regular Season Games away from being in the top 3 of a talented draft.

No way Chicago even considers that trade. They likely finish bottom 3 in the league, any one of the top 3 picks should be better than Suzuki as well as closer in age to the players they just drafted.

Chicago doesn't even consider this trade

No way.

There’s no way Montreal considers trading Suzuki, even if it is for Chicago’s first. Even if we get an outright 1C in the 2023 draft (Bedard or Fantilli) with our own pick, Suzuki is signed to a deal that will be good value as it goes on.

Even as a 2C on a contending team, $7.8 million is good.

Nor do I think Chicago would do it either. They’re trying hard to be bad.

Think about it this way. Would you trade away your top 3 pick, and likely top 10 pick in the next year for Suzuki? Trading away a chance at Bedard, Fantilli, or Michkov for low end 1C/2C is just terrible asset management

I think all 31 other teams in the league would rather have a generational player like Bedard and Michkov than a 2C...

Montreal's in a decent position to win the Bedard Sweepstakes as it is, so I don't know why they would make this deal. Trading Suzuki for a chance to get another Bedard lottery ticket is the textbook example of the "Sure we have a boat, but -anything- could be in the mystery box - even a boat!" trade if I've ever seen one. If the deal was post-lottery for a guaranteed 1OA? Yeah, sure do it (Chicago would decline). But at this point in time, you're just amassing more potential chances. And even if your pick and Chicago's wind up a 2 & 3, they're still not going to be enough to convince whoever's at 1OA to trade back.

Moot point though, because Chicago declines. If they move Toews, it's for futures, not NHL-ready players making $7.8M already.

Rebuilding team trades away 2 first round picks. Have you put an ounce of thought into how this helps Chicago?

Pretty much everybody in the top 10 in the 2023 draft will likely be better than Suzuki. He is a 2C on a contender. Chicago is basically a lock for a top 3 pick. You don't trade those chances for a 2C

Debrincat got the 7th overall in a weak draft. People saying they wouldn’t trade Suzuki for a top 3 pick, another first in a very strongly draft and Toews are delusional.

If we've learned anything about the Blackhawks this summer, it's that they don't want 23 year old elite forwards lol

Just... No.