MONTREAL — Minutes after picking Juraj Slafkovsky first overall at the 2022 NHL draft, the Montreal Canadiens were right back at work.
The Canadiens acquired the 13th-overall pick from the New York Islanders for defenceman Alexander Romanov and the 98th pick, then packaged that pick with the first pick of round three (66th overall) and sent them to Chicago for centre Kirby Dach.
Dach, the third-overall pick of the 2019 draft, had nine goals and 17 assists in 70 games in 2021-22. He showed promise over a small sample size the previous season with two goals and eight assists in 18 games.
The Blackhawks are in the process of dismantling their roster for a rebuild. Earlier Thursday, they traded star forward Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators for three picks, including the seventh-overall selection in the 2022 draft.