Petr Mrazek won’t have to endure six uncomfortable weeks on the sidelines of the Blackhawks‘ goalie rotation, after all.
The Hawks traded Mrazek and veteran forward Craig Smith to the Red Wings on Friday — less than an hour before the NHL trade deadline — for younger forward Joe Veleno.
It seems like a smart move for Hawks general manager Kyle Davidson, who not only does right by Mrazek but also converts a 35-year-old pending free agent into a 25-year-old forward with term remaining — without having to give up any draft picks to make it happen.
Veleno, who has one year remaining on his contract with a $2.275 million salary-cap hit, has struggled for the Wings recently and probably needed a change of scenery. His production has dropped from 28 points in 80 games last season to 10 points in 56 games this season, with his ice time down two minutes per game.
He adds to the Hawks’ center depth, which has been sorely lacking. He has been a high-volume faceoff man on the Wings, too, although he has won only 47.2% of his draws this season.
Smith has played fairly well on the Hawks’ fourth line this season, tallying 16 points in 40 games, but his Chicago tenure wasn’t exactly memorable.
Mrazek said Thursday he understood the Hawks’ decision to roll with younger goalies Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom for the remainder of this season, but he indicated he would like to be traded in order to play somewhere. Hawks goalie coach Jimmy Waite said the team wanted to find a “good home” for him.
In Detroit, Mrazek rejoins the franchise with whom he began his NHL career. He will compete with veteran goalies Cam Talbot and Alex Lyon for starts. It’s somewhat surprising the Wings were willing to absorb the entirety of Mrazek’s $4.25 million cap hit through next season.
This story will be updated.