Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson explains team’s role in blockbuster trade

Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson figured he was going to move Taylor Hall before the trade deadline.

When an opportunity was presented to get a third-round pick for Hall as part of a larger deal, Davidson decided it made sense to act immediately.

The rebuilding Blackhawks got that third-round pick from the Carolina Hurricanes last Friday as part of a massive, three-team deal centred around Mikko Rantanen going to Carolina from the Colorado Avalanche. Chicago is also retaining half of Rantanen’s cap hit.

“… In waiting you run the risk of things like injury, the role was diminishing almost by the game, and it just wasn’t heading towards a way that was going to maximize or enhance value … It just didn’t make sense to wait and not really get a better return later on. It was basically what we thought or hoped we would get and so just move forward with it instead of risking all the things that just go along with just holding a player and fingers crossed maybe the value increases marginally a little bit down the stretch,” Davidson told reporters in Chicago on Monday, per Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio.

Hall’s role was reduced to fourth-liner in recent games for the Blackhawks, who are last in the Central Division. He was even made a healthy-scratch earlier this season by former coach Luke Richardson.

The 33-year-old Kingston, Ont., product had 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists) in 46 games for the Blackhawks this season.

Hall, a former first-overall pick, makes his seventh NHL stop in Carolina.