On July 7, 2022, news broke at the NHL Draft of the Montreal Canadiens trading defenseman Alexander Romanov and the 98th overall selection to the New York Islanders for the 13th overall pick. It was then announced the Canadiens would be flipping the 13th overall selection and the 66th overall selection to the Chicago Blackhawks for former third overall pick, Kirby Dach. Now two years later we have a better idea who came out on top of the blockbuster deals.
New York Islanders: A-
At the time, the Islanders desperately needed a top-four, left-handed defenseman to play alongside Noah Dobson. Andy Greene and Zdeno Chara were Dobson’s most popular linemates, and they were not going to cut it. Sebastian Aho showed promise as a puck-carrying, strong skating option but that would have made a potential pairing with Dobson too offensively-oriented. So, the Islanders went out and acquired Romanov, a name that was not heavily speculated to be traded.
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At the time, Romanov was a 22-year-old, pending restricted free agent who was expected to fit the Canadiens’ timeline well. They did not have much youth on the blue line so elevating Romanov into a prominent role would have made sense. However, they decided to move him, allowing the Islanders to add a much-needed young, defensive defenseman to an aging defensive core. Chara and Greene did not return to the Islanders the following season, marking a shift from veterans to youth in the Islanders’ defense.
Since being acquired, Romanov has been of tremendous value to the Islanders’ defense. He signed a three-year, $2.5 million average annual value (AAV) contract and has missed just seven regular season games. He spent his first season splitting time between Mayfield and Dobson before playing primarily with Dobson this past season. He underwhelmed to begin his Islanders tenure, but has since played a pivotal role in their injury-riddled defensive core.
In the 2023-24 season during the December to January stretch, while Pulock and Mayfield were injured, Romanov was playing north of 24 minutes in many games. He would double shift on the penalty kill and play crunch time to finish out games. While he was clearly exhausted to finish the season, the value he brought to the Islanders has been invaluable. He is not the flashy player fans hope to acquire in a trade, but he has done his job well and they should be pleased with the trade. While the value could be argued to have leaned more favorably for the Canadiens, fans should not be too nitpicky. In addition to Romanov, the Islanders acquired a draft pick where they selected Isaiah George.
Montreal Canadiens: A-
At the time, the Canadiens did not have as much hope in the defensive core as they do now. Today, their defense has Kaiden Guhle, Lane Hutson, David Reinbacher, Bogdan Konyushkov, Justin Barron, Jordan Harris, Arber Xhekaj, Logan Mailloux, Jayden Struble and Adam Engstrom. Their youth has a wide variety of left-handed and right-handed, offensive and defensive, physical and well-skating, and so much more. What general manager Kent Hughes has done is admirable, and they should be ecstatic with how the trade worked out.
After acquiring Romanov, the Canadiens flipped the pick in a trade for Dach. In Montreal, Dach has been riddled with injuries. He played just 58 games in the 2022-23 season, scoring 14 goals and 38 points. In the 2023-24 season, he did not even play four periods, suffering a season-ending knee injury in October. It would be unfair to say the Canadiens made a poor decision in acquiring Dach given his unlucky injuries, in addition to the fact he is still just 23 years old and has plenty of time to develop. Looking back now, it is hard to imagine the Canadiens are too upset with how the trade has worked out.
Chicago Blackhawks: A
Without a doubt, the Blackhawks came out as the biggest winners of the trade. At the time they were beginning to tear down the roster to begin the rebuild. In addition to moving Dach, they shipped out 40-goal scorer Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators. Overall, Chicago got DeBrincat and Dach for the 7th, 13th, 39th and 66th overall picks. They began their rebuild by adding strong youth and the trades are paying dividends now.
With the 13th overall pick acquired for Romanov, general manager Kyle Davidson selected Frank Nazar. Nazar was a highly regarded prospect coming out of the draft and was seen as a phenomenal selection. However, he received major hip surgery in October 2022, creating concern about whether he would be able to live up to his high expectations. While he is still early on in his hockey journey, all signs point to him developing into a star.
After spending most of the 2022-23 season in physical therapy, Nazar scored 17 goals and 41 points in 41 games for the University of Michigan. Then he signed his entry-level contract with the Blackhawks, scoring a goal on the first shot of his career. While the Blackhawks are still in their rebuild, all eyes should be on Nazar as he continues his development in preparation for a lengthy NHL career.
In addition to Nazar, the Blackhawks selected Gavin Hayes with the 66th overall selection they acquired in the trade. Hayes was on the younger side of 2022 draftees and has impressed since getting drafted. He scored 37 goals and 76 points in 55 games this past season, split between the Flint Firebirds and Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League. He also won gold with the United States at the 2024 World Junior Championship.
Looking back at the trade now, it appears as if all three teams are happy with how it played out. The Islanders added an impact defenseman, the Canadiens got a young forward with upside, and the Blackhawks got great assets to begin their rebuild. Since the Islanders possess the 18th overall selection in this year’s draft, look for them to shop the pick for a comparable move to the Romanov trade.