The Chicago Blackhawks traded away a former first-round pick on Wednesday morning, sending defenseman Nicolas Beaudin to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for forward Cameron Hillis.
Hogs on the Move: @NHLBlackhawks acquire Cam Hillis from @CanadiensMTL in exchange for defenseman Nicolas Beaudin.https://t.co/POw98IjHvb
— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) October 26, 2022
Hillis, 22, is a 5-foot-10, 171-pound forward who joined the Canadiens’ organization as a third-round pick (66th overall) in the 2018 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut last season with the Canadiens, skating 10:15 on New Year’s Day during a 5-2 loss to the Florida Panthers while tallying two shots on goal.
That’s the only NHL game Hillis has played in his career, as he spent the rest of the 2021-22 seasons split between the ECHL and the AHL. Hillis was back in the ECHL this season, scoring two goals in three games with the Trois-Rivières Lions.
Beaudin, who turned 23 on Oct. 9, was a first-round pick (27th overall) in 2018 but struggled to find his place in the organization. He played in 19 games during Chicago’s youth-focused 2021 season, scoring two goals with four assists. But he only played in two NHL games last season and appeared to be slipping down the organizational depth chart.
Per the press release above, Hillis will report to the IceHogs.