The Blackhawks traded Nick Schmaltz to the Coyotes for forwards Dylan Strome and Brendan Perlini on Sunday night.
Schmaltz has two goals and nine assists in 23 games during his third NHL season. He scored a career-high 21 goals and 52 points in 78 games last season. Chicago selected him in the first round of the 2014 NHL draft with the 20th overall pick.
Schmaltz is the fifth first-rounder to be traded under general manager Stan Bowman, who took over for Dale Tallon in July 2009. Only the Henri Jokiharju (2017) and Adam Boqvist and Nicolas Beaudin (2018) are the first-rounders in the Blackhawks organization currently drafted by Bowman as general manager.
“Nick is a dynamic forward with top line potential,” Coyotes GM John Chayka said in a release. “We feel he can be a core player of our team now and into the future. He’s a good complement to our evolving forward group and a rare combination of speed, skill and creativity.”
Bowman did not provide a comment in the team’s release, but he will be available to the media Monday.
Schmaltz will see some familiar faces in Arizona.
The Blackhawks and Coyotes have been friendly trade partners the past few years. Last summer, Chicago sent forward Vinnie Hinostroza and defenseman Jordan Oesterle to Arizona in a multiplayer deal to move Marian Hossa’s contract to the Coyotes’ books. There’s also forward Richard Panik and defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson with Arizona.
Strome has three goals and six points in 19 games this season. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound center split time between the Coyotes and their AHL affiliate in Tucson during the 2017-18 season. The 2015 No. 3 overall pick had nine points (four goals, five assists) in 21 NHL games and 53 points (22 goals, 31 assists) in 50 AHL contests.
Strome, 21, does have some history with one of his new teammates as he was linemates with Alex DeBrincat with the Erie Otters in the OHL. Both had 100-plus point seasons together from 2014-2016.
Perlini, 22, has two goals and six points in 21 games during his third NHL season. He recorded 30 points (17 goals, 13 assists) in 74 contests last season — his first full campaign in the NHL. The 6-foot-3, 191-pound left winger was selected No. 12 overall in the 2014 draft by the Coyotes.
Perlini and Strome both carry an annual average value of $863,333. Perlini’s contract ends after this season, while Strome’s deal runs through the 2019-20 season.
The Blackhawks and Coyotes face off two more times this season: March 11 at Chicago and March 26 at Arizona.