The Senators were able to acquire a 40-goal scorer for a 1st, 2nd and 3rd round pick, but even more impressive they were able to acquire a 40-goal scorer who is still under team control. While DeBrincat has one season remaining on his current deal, he is a restricted free agent when that deal expires.
Now according to Scott Powers, the reason the Hawks were so desperate to trade DeBrincat was because he outright refused to negotiate an extension with the Hawks. This left the team feeling like they had no other choice but to move on from the player.
With so many teams up against the salary cap it appears the Senators were able to acquire a significant upgrade to their team at a very reasonable price. This loss also helped the Blackhawks speed up their rebuild and likely encourages players like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews to waive their no movement clauses further advancing the rebuild.
