It was right around when the Montreal Canadiens were on the clock with the 25th pick when murmurs started to pick up that the Dallas Stars and Chicago Blackhawks were up to something.
Just moments later, Gary Bettman announced on the stage that the Blackhawks had traded the 26th overall pick to the Stars in exchange for the 29th overall pick and the 70th overall pick (Stars’ third-round selection).
And a few short ticks of the clock following that, Dallas claimed 18-year-old Boston University goaltender Jake Oettinger. This is a steal of a pick.
Sure, the Stars had to give up their only third-round pick for it, but that’s perfectly alright considering the payoff.