Dustin Byfuglien Sent to Atlanta in Seven Player Trade
After playing a prominent role in the Chicago Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup winning playoff campaign, Dustin Byfuglien will now be an Atlanta Thrasher after a large seven player, two pick trade.
In addition to Byfuglien, the Blackhawks will also be sending centre Ben Eager, defence Brent Sopel, and prospect Akim Aliu to the Thrashers. In return, Chicago will be receiving 12-year veteran forward Marty Reasoner, prospect Jeremy Morin, and young winger Joseph Crabb. Crabb has experienced just 29 games in the National Hockey League but has outperformed the low expectations placed on him as 226th pick in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.
Besides players, the Blackhawks have used Byfulien to rake in extra draft picks, and the move seems like Chicago’s attempt to raise its drafting position. The Blackhawks have acquired two picks which the Atlanta Thrashers obtained from the New Jersey Devils as part of the Ilya Kovalchuk trade. The Blackhawks now have an extra first-round pick (No. 24) and a solid position in the second-round as well with pick No. 54.
Blackhawks General Manager Stan Bowman did not explain the logic behind the deal, but did praise Byfuglien. "He's a special player," Bowman said during a conference call early Thursday morning. "There's a few different ways you can make up for the loss of him. He's a great player and we're certainly going to miss him. I don't think there's one guy who can replicate what Buff did."
Byfuglien responded to the trade with professional demeanour, but it was evident that the power forward was not too happy about leaving a perennial Stanley Cup contender for a rebuilding franchise. During an appearance "The Afternoon Saloon" on ESPN 1000 in Chicago, Byfuglien said: "It is what it is. It's part of the job. You're not going to stick in one spot the whole time, so I've got to go."
Though the trade certainly bolsters the Blackhawks draft positioning, it also gives the Thrashers a young proven star that seems destined for further development. Of note is that the Thrashers and Blackhawks have a previous connection, as Thrashers GM Rick Dudley worked for the Blackhawks for five seasons prior to becoming employed by the Thrashers last summer.
Dudley attempted to dismiss the notion of favouritism in the trade by stating: "I think I talked to Stan [Bowman] more than when we worked together. I am talking like maybe 50 calls in the last few days."
According to Dudley, the reasoning behind the trade involved Byfuglien’s strong playoff performance. Dudley said: "What we saw in the playoffs is the Dustin Byfuglien I imagined and who could become one of the league's elite power forwards. He has soft hands and he is as big a player as there is in the NHL. That combination is attractive."
After the Hawks’ Stanley Cup win, it was evident they would not be able to hold on to all of their players and would not be able to meet the salary cap. After Chicago gave Jonathan Toews a large bonus for winning the Conn Smythe MVP earlier this month, Dudley began working on obtaining Byfuglien.
As for the players traded from Atlanta to Chicago, they seem excited and satisfied. Reasoner told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's website: “You can't beat going to a team that just won the Stanley Cup."
He also added: "It's always a little shocking to be traded, but we've all gone through it before. I would have liked to stay in Atlanta for another year and help that team build, but it's a new chapter. It will be exciting. You can tell from watching the playoffs that the Blackhawks have taken over the city."
Chicago still has a dominant line-up even though they were not able to retain Byfuglien. If they draft well, they can keep their strength while alleviating salary cap pressures. The Thrashers have shown strong desire to rebuilding their franchise after trading star player Ilya Kovalchuk and smart trades like this bode well for their future.
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