NHL trade grade: Red Wings acquire Brendan Perlini from Blackhawks
Who won the trade that sent Brendan Perlini from the Chicago Blackhawks to the Detroit Red Wings?
The Chicago Blackhawks have found a new home for forward Brendan Perlini. He was a surplus piece in Chicago, having played in just one game during the 2019-20 season. Perlini was a healthy scratch in each of the other games. On Monday, Oct. 28, the Detroit Red Wings traded for him. In exchange, the Hawks are getting blueline prospect Alec Regula.
Let’s take a look at the trade from both sides, and evaluate what each side accomplished.
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Blackhawks
Perlini was an extra forward in Chicago. They originally acquired him in the Dylan Strome trade, but Perlini was unable to earn a consistent spot in the lineup. In 46 games with the Hawks last season, he put up 12 goals and 15 points while averaging a career-low 10:36 per game.
They managed to get a pretty solid prospect for Perlini in Regula. He was drafted in the third round of the 2018 NHL Draft by the Red Wings. Regula has seen his point totals increase in recent years. After posting 25 points in 67 games during the 2017-18 season, he put up 39 points in 66 games during the 2018-19 season.
So far this season, Regula has 11 points in 10 games, which shows he’s starting to turn his unique upside into tangible results. He’s taken on a large role for the London Knights and is thriving in it. At 6’4″, he has very good size. More importantly, Regula is an above-average skater who can play during all situations.
The Blackhawks recently traded Henri Jokiharju, so it’s nice they were able to get another talented young defenseman in Regula.
Grade: B. All things considered, this is about as solid of a return as the Hawks could have gotten for Perlini.
Red Wings
I like Regula, but he has way more value to the Hawks than he did with the Wings. Detroit has a number of young defensemen and Regula was fairly low on the totem pole. Perlini is an interesting guy for the Wings to take a shot on. He’s certainly talented, but has yet to live up to his potential as a former first-round pick.
Perlini’s greatest skill is his skating. He’s one of the better skaters in the league and is strong away from the puck. My biggest concern with him has always been his play with the puck. There’s a reason he’s been traded twice in 12 months.
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Then again, I can see why the Red Wings traded for him. They’re hoping his play with the puck improves enough to complement his skating. If Perlini even becomes average with the puck, I think he could be a solid top-nine forward thanks to his exceptional skating. But I’m not sure if he’ll ever be average with the puck. At the very least, Perlini’s an NHL caliber player.
Grade: B-.