The largely painful Alexander Nylander experiment came to a close on Wednesday, as the Chicago Blackhawks dealt the lackluster prospect to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for forward Sam Lafferty.
🚨 Trade Alert 🚨 pic.twitter.com/qlNoGaUfrp
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 5, 2022
Nylander, a former eighth-overall pick of the Buffalo Sabres in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, was acquired by the Blackhawks from the Sabres on July 9, 2019, in exchange for defenseman Henri Jokiharju. The deal received much backlash at the time, and Nylander did nothing to justify the move in the time since, spending much of that time either injured or in the press box or minors.
Upon being acquired by the Hawks, Nylander did post 10 goals and 16 assists in 65 games during the 2019–20 season, but has not suited up for NHL action since. The younger brother of Toronto Maple Leafs star William Nylander has spent the beginning of this season with the Rockford IceHogs, tallying eight goals and four assists in 23 contests. In all, Nylander has accumulated a disappointing 13 goals and 19 assists in 84 career NHL games.
Lafferty is in his third NHL season, registering six goals and 15 assists in 94 NHL games with the Penguins after being selected 113th by Pittsburgh in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Lafferty carries a cap hit of $750,000 through the end of this season. Lafferty has been assigned to the active roster and is expected to join the team in Arizona. He will wear No. 24.
In an unrelated transaction, the Hawks also announced they had recalled defenseman Nicolas Beaudin from the IceHogs on Wednesday morning and assigned him to the taxi squad.
The Blackhawks will return to action on Thursday, traveling to face the Arizona Coyotes for an 8 p.m. CST puck drop.