On Thursday evening, before the Chicago Blackhawks were set to host the Anaheim Ducks, the organization pulled the trigger on a trade. The Blackhawks acquired forward Chris DiDomenico from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for defenseman Ville Pokka.
DiDomenico Makes A Blackhawks Return, Fresh Start for Pokka
First, for Ville Pokka, a fresh start with the Senators organization might just be what his career needed. After being acquired by the Blackhawks ahead of the 2014-15 season, Pokka has still never made his NHL regular season debut. A handful of call-ups since joining the organization have amounted to zero NHL games, but Pokka has been a fixture for the Rockford IceHogs over that same timeframe. Pokka has skated in 266 games for the IceHogs, tallying 127 points along the way. With the Senators’ defensive group in-flux at the moment, Pokka could have the opportunity to make his way into the NHL roster before the season is over.
Chris DiDomenico will be making his second stint with the Blackhawks organization, although he is expected to report to the IceHogs right away. A former sixth-round pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, DiDomenico was traded to the Blackhawks in 2010 and played parts of the 2010-11 and 2011-12 season with the Rockford IceHogs and Toledo Walleye. Over that time period, DiDomenico played in 74 games and tallied 17 points with the IceHogs. He has 27 games of NHL experience, all with the Senators, and has 10 points. With the IceHogs having an overabundance of defenseman and a need for more veteran experience in the locker room, shedding Pokka and adding DiDomenico seems to be the right move for the organization.
Bringing my comment from the other thread over here, where it is more appropriate… Some people can stop worrying about when Pokka is going to get his chance with the Hawks now. Gate, I saw you called this a garbage for garbage deal, but it sounds like DiDomenico might be kind of a late bloomer who has a drive to keep proving himself. Does anyone see him getting a shot at the bottom 6 or at least get 5-10 games in a Hawks sweater to show what kind of game he brings to the table?
I’m gonna guess that after playing 4 years in the Rock that the Hawks saw no future for Pokka and this was a mercy trade as a favor to Ville for being a good soldier. I wish him well in Ottawa, but it should surprise no one if Ville is playing in Europe next year and beyond