Blackhawks Make First Trade Of 2025 Cycle, Could Help Development Of Artyom Levshunov

The Blackhawks got rid of a defenseman in a trade! No, it wasn’t Seth Jones. With Chicago having more than enough talent in its pipeline on the defensive end, GM Kyle Davidson was looking to get rid of a blueliner before the trade deadline, and did just that by sending IceHogs LHD Isaak Phillips to Winnipeg.

But in return, the Blackhawks got… another defenseman? The Jets sent 21-year-old Dmitri Kuzmin, another LHD, to Chicago as compensation. The move is a puzzling one at first glance...