With the trade deadline still two months away, the Chicago Blackhawks and Winnipeg Jets swapped AHL defensemen in a 1-for-1 deal on Wednesday afternoon.
Reported by Darren Dreger, the Blackhawks sent defenseman Isaak Phillips to Winnipeg for defenseman Dmitry Kuzmin.
Phillips, a 2020 fifth-round pick of the Hawks, split time between Chicago and the Rockford IceHogs over the last four seasons. Spending a majority of the season with the Hogs, Phillips scored one goal and tallied seven assists in 28 games. In three games with the Blackhawks this season, he managed one goal.
Kuzmin, a 2021 third-round pick of the Jets, has spent his time between the ECHL and the AHL since being drafted. In 21 games this season with the Manitoba Moose, Kuzmin scored one goal and tallied three assists.
When asked about the trade, Anders Sorensen called the trade a fresh start for Phillips. With recent Blackhawks drafts netting Chicago multiple high-end defensive prospects, Phillips got crowded out. At 23 years old, the time for Phillips to find a spot on an NHL roster is slimming. Perhaps in a less crowded room, Phillips can find his game.
Kuzmin, a 21-year-old left handed defenseman, offers both Chicago and Rockford a small but appreciated benefit: national camaraderie. Kuzmin, like Chicago’s top prospect Artyom Levshunov, hails from Belarus. They were teammates on Team Belarus during the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship Division One tournament, a team that won gold. The two also trained together last summer before the season began. Perhaps the “Belarusian Buddies” can find good chemistry that will allow Levshunov to grow his game during the remainder of the AHL season.
Kuzmin will have the opportunity to make his IceHogs debut on Jan. 17 on the road against the Iowa Wild.