No losers in Nylander-Jokiharju trade (yet)

Very deep on defense, Hawks needed to add some assets at forward

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — It would have been far more convenient if the NHL schedule makers just had waited a couple of more months before having the Blackhawks play the Sabres this season.

That way more than just a few games would be in the bank to assess the deal this summer in which the Hawks sent defenseman Henri Jokiharju to the Sabres for forward Alex Nylander.

The two will face their former teams for the first time Sunday at the United Center.

This wasn’t the biggest deal of the summer at the time, but nearly one-quarter into the season, its impact is being felt. Nylander, 21, has played all over for the Hawks, though mainly on a line with Jonathan Toews, and is on his way to playing his first full NHL season. He hasn’t been a consistent scorer, but his talent has been visible nearly every game.

Jokiharju, 20, has been more consistent for the Sabres while mostly playing on a third pairing with Marco Scandella. After playing 38 games last season for the Hawks but only a handful over the final 3½ months, Jokiharju is proving more than capable of sticking in the NHL for a long time.

Heading into Saturday’s games, Nylander and Jokiharju each had seven points — 2 goals and 5 assists. A defenseman playing thirdpairing minutes shouldn’t have as many points as a forward who has played on a line with Toews most of the time, so the Sabres probably have gotten more out of Jokiharju than the Hawks from Nylander to this point.

It’s certainly close and too soon to declare which team won the deal. But it’s not too soon to reflect on why the teams made the trade.

And Hawks general manager Stan Bowman’s reasoning still makes sense.

Anyone keeping tabs on the Hawks organization knows it is loaded with defensive prospects. Adam Boqvist, the No. 8 pick in the 2018 draft, just finished a six-game stint with the Hawks before returning to Rockford. Ian Mitchell, the Hawks’ secondround pick in 2017, likely will turn pro in the spring after finishing his junior season at the University of Denver.

They’re different from Jokiharju in that they’re offensive defensemen but, like Jokiharju, they’re right-handed. And they’re not far from being NHL-ready. Despite Boqvist being sent back to the IceHogs this week, the Hawks will have no problem bringing him back if and when they need him.

As for Mitchell, who turns 21 in January and is five months older than Jokiharju, he’ll likely push for a roster spot next season. Having Boqvist and Mitchell in the pipeline made Jokiharju expendable.

If Jokiharju were still in the Hawks organization, he probably would be with the IceHogs right now. That’s not meant as praise the Hawks for having a stacked group of blue-liners at the NHL level. The reality is the Hawks had six defensemen — Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Erik Gustafsson, Connor Murphy, Calvin de Haan and Olli Maatta — ahead of Jokiharju.

Argue all you want about the wisdom of bringing in de Haan and Maatta a couple of weeks before trading Jokiharju. Tear your hair out over Seabrook hanging on as a third-pairing defenseman with four seasons left on his contract. This is the situation the Hawks are in, and it put them in a position in which Jokiharju could be moved for an asset.

That asset turned out to be Nylander, who came to the Hawks after three years of dealing with injuries and an inability to stick with the Sabres. Nylander arrived with a reputation for being an underachiever but had only 19 NHL games under his belt. What the No. 8 pick in the 2016 draft needed was an opportunity to play in the NHL, which he’s getting with the Hawks.

Even with no goals in his last 14 games entering Saturday’s matchup with the Predators, Nylander isn’t getting the side-eye from coach Jeremy Colliton wondering why he isn’t putting the puck in the net.

“There’s constant conversation for sure,” Colliton said. “But the focus isn’t really on, ‘Oh, you haven’t scored,’ it’s how you’re playing. And he’s had some good games. He can’t focus on whether I’ve scored or haven’t scored. Honestly it’s nothing I’m keeping tabs on, it’s more about how was the performance.”

And how has Nylander performed?

“He continues to perform well,” Colliton said. “There’s probably been a couple shifts every game where he’s dropped off a little bit. Sometimes that’s what you remember when you watch the game. But when you look at all shifts, he’s had some really good ones.”

Nylander has played more minutes with Toews than anyone else this season and constantly gets feedback from the Hawkscaptain.

“If you ask (Alex), he’ll admit he has a ton of ability, a ton of upside that you’d expect a lot more production, and he’s starting to get those opportunities,” Toews said. “It’s only a matter of time before he starts putting up numbers. Guy can skate, handle the puck. Look at the way his brother (Maple Leafs forward William Nylander) plays. They’re almost identical. He’s got a heck of a shot, too, so he’s probably even a better shooter than his brother.”

The Hawks obviously would love for Nylander to break out on the scoresheet, but as long as he’s backchecking, playing hard and not taking shifts off, they’re going to give him time to develop his confidence.

If they can turn him into the 25-goal scorer he was projected to be — something they don’t have in their farm system — that’s worth more to them than Jokiharju, especially if Boqvist and Mitchell pan out.

And if Jokiharju keeps getting better? Great for him, and great for the Sabres.

Nobody has to lose the trade. At least not yet, anyway.