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Blackhawks/IceHogs Make Deal with Ducks Organization

Originally posted on On Tap Sports Net | By Ron Luce | Last updated 3/2/23

The Blackhawks & IceHogs made small trades on Thursday, sending AHL forward Dylan Sikura to the Anaheim Ducks for prospects Maxim Golod & Logan Nijhoff, and AHL leading scorer Rocco Grimaldi.

The Chicago Blackhawks continue to be busy ahead of Friday's NHL Trade Deadline. After reports surfaced about sending Max Domi being traded to the Dallas Stars on Thursday, the Blackhawks shipped Rockford IceHogs forward Dylan Sikura to the Anaheim Ducks for prospect forward Maxim Golod.

In addition to the trade, the Rockford IceHogs separately acquired forwards Rocco Grimaldi and Logan Nijhoff from the San Diego Gulls, Anaheim's AHL affiliate. The return for those two players is future considerations, according to the IceHogs.

Sikura accumulated 32 points (14 goals, 18 assists) in 52 games. However, Grimaldi has 56 points (27 goals, 29 assists) in 54 games. The IceHogs are getting a much better scorer in the move. According to the IceHogs, Nijhoff and Golod are heading to the ECHL's Indy Fuel. Both players have spent most of their seasons in the ECHL.

With all of these under the radar moves, such as acquiring Anders Bjork from the Buffalo Sabres, it's clear Kyle Davidson is loading up his AHL team. He wants his youngsters, such as Lukas Reichel ( although recalled on Thursday ), Alex Vlasic, and others to have a deep playoff run in the Calder Cup Playoffs. With the NHL team set to lose a lot down the stretch, the AHL team will have a stacked roster for the postseason.

This article first appeared on On Tap Sports Net and was syndicated with permission.

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