Trade completed between the Chicago Blackhawks and Montreal Canadiens: There's one clear winner now

The Chicago Blackhawks and the Montreal Canadiens are two up-and-coming teams that are on the verge of breaking out in the NHL. The two organizations have a similar record. Montreal is 3rd in the Atlantic Division with a 10-6-3 record after 19 games, while Chicago is 4th with a 9-5-4 record after 18 games.

The two teams have been rebuilding for years now, and even completed a trade together when they started the process.

Today, there's a clear winner in that deal.

The Hawks sent Kirby Dach to Montreal during the 2022 NHL Draft for the 13th overall pick, which was used to select Frank Nazar.

The two players were expected to play a massive role in the rebuild of the Canadiens and the Blackhawks, and only one of them has done so yet.

Indeed, since he entered the NHL, Dach has missed 180 games due to injuries, a number that's still going up as the player will be sidelined for over a month after a fractured foot.

It's tough news for Canadiens fans, but even more so for the player himself, who was starting to get back to his former self for the first time since missing the full 2023-24 season with another injury.

Habs head coach Martin St. Louis' comments highlighted Dach's bad luck with his health so far, but also that the team expects to see him bounce back:

In Chicago, Nazar signed a long-term deal, cementing his place in the team's long-term plans.

He has 12 points in 16 games this season.