Thu, Jul 7, 2022 at 10:15pm

MRAZEK MOVED TO CHICAGO

The Chicago Blackhawks acquired goaltender Petr Mrazek and a first-round draft pick in 2022 (No. 25 overall) from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a second-round draft pick in 2022 (No. 38 overall).

What does it give the Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks clearly love the player they selected with the 25th overall pick in this year's draft: defenseman Sam Rinzel. He is another young asset that is going to be part of the long-term solution in Chicago. Mrazek has struggled with injuries and inconsistency at the NHL level, but he has a wide open opportunity in the Windy City to emerge as the team's starting netminder in 2022-23.

What does it give the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto did very well here because Mrazek's entire $3.8 million salary cap hit for the next two seasons is now off the books. Furthermore, the Maple Leafs only moved down 13 spots in the draft to earn that cap relief. Toronto needs a goaltender, so expect them to use that money on an unrestricted free agent goaltender next week. Or, they could seek to make a trade for a goaltender who may be available.

Fantasy impact
Mrazek's win totals with Chicago should be fairly low, so his fantasy value is definitely limited now. However, he may pan out in the Windy City without the pressures of contending for a playoff spot. He is worth picking up in some yearly leagues, but only at the bottom of most drafts.