In return, the Senators send three draft picks to the Blackhawks, including the seventh overall pick in Thursday’s NHL draft. The Blackhawks will also get the No. 39 pick in the 2022 draft and a third-round pick in 2024. “The acquisition of Alex brings immediate and additional firepower to our group,” said Senators general manager Pierre Dorion. “He is a dynamic forward who is a scoring threat when he is in the offensive zone. He has great vision, great skill and a quality shot that helps him score from almost anywhere on the ice. He is a consistent player and an underrated playmaker that the Senators fans are sure to enjoy the game in Ottawa.” The 24-year-old DeBrincat already has two 41-goal seasons on his resume in just five seasons, including last season when he also had a career-high 78 points. Listed at just 5-foot-7, he originally fell to the second round in the 2016 draft despite putting up tons of points in the OHL and continuing to be a scoring threat in the NHL. He has one season left on his $6.4 million contract and will be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2023. However, DeBrincat’s 2022-23 salary will be $9 million — the same number as his qualifying offer in next summer – meaning there’s a big contract extension in his future. The move is the first major trade made by Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson as the club embarks on a full rebuild. With this trade, the Blackhawks now have a first-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft after their own pick (No. 6) was previously traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in a deal for Seth Jones a year ago. The Blackhawks are reportedly gauging trade interest in some key players, including forwards Kirby Dach and Patrick Kane. “We thank Alex for his tireless dedication to the Blackhawks organization over the past five seasons and wish him the best in Ottawa,” Davidson said in a statement. “It was an incredibly difficult decision to trade a player of Alex’s caliber. We feel this move sets the Blackhawks up for future success by giving us additional flexibility and future talent. Securing an early first round pick for tonight and The additional second round pick tomorrow it allows us to strengthen our candidate base with high-caliber players who we expect will make a difference in the coming years. “Although we haven’t had a first pick in the draft to date, our staff has anticipated this scenario. I’ve been clear in my desire to go through to the first round and we’re excited to go up and make a selection this afternoon.” Earlier in the day, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Senators and Sabers had a deal in place that would send Matt Murray to Buffalo, but Murray blocked the move with his no-trade clause. That trade reportedly included the seventh overall pick, which the Senators used to acquire DeBrincat.
