The Chicago Blackhawks traded Nick Foligno to the Minnesota Wild. This is a letter grade for the deal.
On Friday morning, the Chicago Blackhawks completed a trade with the Minnesota Wild that sent captain Nick Foligno up north to play with his brother Marcus.
The return for Chicago is "future considerations", which may or may not become something someday. This is the Blackhawks doing right by their captain. He has given them everything they signed him to bring and more.
Replacing Jonathan Toews as a captain was never going to be an easy task for anyone. A former NHL captain and respected veteran like Foligno was the perfect man for the job, and he did it better than they could have expected.
Do the Blackhawks get a lower grade because they didn't get anything of significance in return for Foligno?
Trade Grade: A
The Blackhawks get an A for doing the right thing. Foligno is a fourth-line forward these days and doesn't provide much offense anymore. He is on an NHL roster to hit, create a forecheck, and stick up for his teammates. In the room, he provides tremendous leadership skills.
If the Blackhawks explored the entire market for Foligno, they would not get much for him, so sending him to play with his brother in what may be his final season for no return is a classy gesture.
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