While everyone is only talking about Lane Hutson, the Blackhawks and Jets have just made a minor transaction (which will not remove any spotlight to the young Canadian). Winnipeg sends young 5’10” defenseman Dmitry Kuzmin to Chicago for another young defenseman, Isaak Phillips.
Kuzmin, 21, was a 3rd round pick by the Jets in the 2021 NHL Draft. The Belarusian obtained big statistics with 59 points in 65 games in the OHL in 2022-23, before making the jump to the pros the following season. He split last season between Norfolk (ECHL) and Manitoba (AHL). This season, with the Moose of the American Hockey League, he has four points in 21 games.
Isaak Phillips, 23, was a 5th round pick of the Hawks in 2020 after a 26-point campaign in 63 games for the Sudbury Wolves in the OHL. Since then, he has bounced between Rockford in the American League and Chicago in the Bettman circuit, playing a total of 56 big league games. This season, Phillips played three games with the Blackhawks, scoring one goal. In 28 AHL games, the 6’03” guard collected eight points and 54 penalty minutes.
To summarize, Chicago is acquiring a smaller defender who already had some offensive potential. Winnipeg, meanwhile, is acquiring a bigger guard who already has experience at the NHL level and fits well into the Jets’ philosophy.
