Carolina Hurricanes: Regrading the Teuvo Teravainen Trade

Regrading the Blackhawks Return

The Blackhawks unloaded Bickell’s contract in an attempt to keep the main core in place and make another run at the Stanley Cup. The Blackhawks seemed to be on the way to that goal in year one post-Teuvo, posting 109 points and finishing as the top regular-season team in the Western Conference.

Unfortunately, that’s where the wheels fell off for Chicago. The Blackhawks were swept in the first round by the Predators and haven’t reached the postseason since. The team kicked off a rebuild and youth movement, something that would’ve been easier with a star like Teravainen in the mix.

In exchange for unloading Bickell and Teravainen, the Blackhawks received cap space and two early-round draft picks (2016 2nd and 2017 3rd).

Chicago used the 2016 2nd-round pick to select Artur Kayumov, a Russian skater who has bounced from the MHL to the KHL and VHL and back again. In total, he’s scored seven goals in his KHL career and is more well-known for being suspended when he delivered an illegal check to a player’s head and then punched the referee. He might make the jump to North America next season but the jury is still out on what he can become.

The Blackhawks would trade the 3rd-round pick for right-winger Tomáš Jurčo, who would end up playing 42 total games for the Blackhawks over two seasons, netting more penalty minutes (12) than points (11).

If Jurčo’s name sounds familiar, it’s because he won the Calder Cup as a member of the Charlotte Checkers last season, finishing third in points in the playoffs.

Looking back, there is no chance that the Hurricanes would choose the combination of Jurčo and Kayumov over the star potential of Teravainen.

(If you want an in-depth look at the trade from a Blackhawks perspective, check out our friends at Blackhawk Up and their piece outlining the regret of losing a young star like Teravainen)

New Grade: F

The Blackhawks traded away Teravainen for a chance to reclaim the Stanley Cup but instead were dispatched in the first round of the playoffs.

Now, with the team ushering a youth movement, the Blackhawks are left with the disappointing Kayumov as the only chance to salvage any value in the return. A player like Teravainen would completely change the complexion of a rebuilding team that sits 23rd in goals scored per game.

In retrospect, there is likely no way the Blackhawks make this trade again and the Hurricanes should be lauded for their excellent use of cap space to build a winner in Carolina.