Friedman Reveals Massive Draft Day Deal That Fell Through Between Blackhawks & Blue Jackets

On the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman sat down with Chicago Blackhawks' GM Kyle Davidson ahead of the 2025 Winter Classic.

For the bulk of the interview, they discussed the team, the draft, and more. However, Friedman also asked Davidson about a trade that reportedly fell through between the Blackhawks and the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Here’s the breakdown of their conversation:

Friedman: "Okay, you had a deal with the four—the pick with Columbus who took [Cayden] Lindstrom."

Davidson: "Reportedly."

Friedman: "Well, we’re going to get to the bottom of this right here."

Friedman: "You had a big idea that you tried here with number four. I want to take you through what actually happened and just your process of it because it was bold."

Davidson: "Um, I think every draft and the way I've approached every draft is trying to make sure we’re always maximizing our options."

Friedman: "Okay, how close did it get? The one we heard was, I think it was your first next year and maybe your second next year for their fourth overall pick, which was Columbus."

Davidson: "Um, I’m not sure, to be honest. Because nothing happened, and we had other stuff going down the line, and nothing happened."

(You can listen to the full interview here)

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Imagine if that deal had gone through.

First, the Blackhawks would have had two picks in the top five.

They took Artyom Levshunov (defenseman) with their second-overall pick. With the fourth overall pick, they could have had their choice of any of these forwards: Cayden Lindstrom, Ivan Demidov, or Tij Iginla. On top of that, they still would have had their 18th overall pick, which they used to draft Sacha Boisvert.

For the Blue Jackets, had they agreed to the reported deal, they wouldn’t have Lindstrom in their prospect pool. However, they could have been on their way to securing the first overall pick this season.

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Now, hypothetically, it can be argued that a different series of events might have made the Blackhawks push harder to be a better team this year.

However, if we’re going based on this season, Columbus could have had the best odds—or at least the top three best odds—to land the number one pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

That pick would have given them their choice of Michael Misa (forward) or Matthew Schaefer (defenseman). They would also still have their own first-round pick, which, at this time, is projected to be in the top 10.

Additionally, they own the Minnesota Wild's first-round pick, which is projected, based on standings, to fall in the 20-25 range.

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This trade would have significantly altered both organizations' prospect pools. However, no deal was finalized, and the Blue Jackets selected Lindstrom with their fourth pick. They now hold their own and the Wild’s picks in the upcoming 2025 draft.

What's Next - The Blue Jackets return home on Tuesday to face the Carolina Hurricanes.

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