Chicago Blackhawks: Erik Gustafsson traded to Calgary Flameson February 24, 2020 at 8:21 pm

Gustafsson was a good player for the Hawks but he had many flaws. He was solid offensively at times but there were also times where he was a complete mess in his own zone. Defending wasn’t his thing so if he wasn’t killing it offensively, he appeared to be a struggling player. He currently has six goals and 20 assists for 26 points in 59 games played for Chicago which isn’t terrible, but he is far off his 60 point total from last year.

With Calgary, Gustafsson should be put in more of a position to succeed. When healthy, they have a really solid group. They are a team that should see themselves as a contender. If it all comes together in the end, it remains to be seen. These moves they made, however, could make that much easier for them.

As for Chicago, they will just have another spot on the blue line to keep giving guys a chance. With Duncan Keith leading the way, this will give guys like Adam Boqvist and Connor Murphy chances to continue growing their game. There are a few guys in the system who are candidates to be there next year as well. This is a trade that could work out for the Flames if Gustafsson thrives in the proper role. For the Hawks, it feels like a situation that the Blackhawks messed up.