Blackhawks and Red Wings' Original Six Trade Deadline Deal Has a Clear Winner

Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson opted to ship away two veterans to the Red Wings on March 7 in surprising deal that saw goaltender Petr Mrazek head back to his old stomping grounds.

Alongside Mrazek, 14-year NHL veteran Craig Smith was also traded to the Red Wings, providing them depth throughout a tough time of injuries.

In return, the Blackhawks received forward Joe Veleno, a former 1st round pick by the Red Wings in the 2018 NHL draft. Although the 25-year old forward hasn't bloomed yet, he has tallied one goal and one assist through 7 games since joining the Blackhawks, showing baby steps of development with his new organization.

Craig Smith, traded to Detroit, has tallied just one point, where the other key piece in the deal (Petr Mrazek) has ultimately messed up their goaltending plan.

The netminder endured an injury in just his fifth game with his new team, prompting the Red Wings to make an emergency roster move.

At a price of $4,250,000 per season for Mrazek, it's a tough pill to swallow for Steve Yzerman and his Red Wings, who believed they were acquiring a goaltender to help their playoff push.

With Mrazek's absence and Craig Smith's lack of production, Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson ultimately won the trade by dumping a poor contract (Mrazek) while giving a veteran (Smith) a shot at playoff contention.