NHL insider flashes back to Chicago Blackhawks failed blockbuster trade attempt involving Ivan Demidov

The Chicago Blackhawks are in the midst of a lengthy and painful rebuild. Long gone are the days of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews taking the Hawks on Stanley Cup runs.

Since stepping in as general manager of the team in 2022, Kyle Davidson's sole focus has been to acquire draft picks and prospects while letting go of veteran players who no longer fit their timeline. That has led to four consecutive finishes at the bottom of the league standings, allowing Chicago to add young players like Connor Bedard, Artyom Levshunov, and Kevin Korchinski at the top of the draft.

The Blackhawks had three first-round picks in 2024 (2,18, 27), however, we later learned that Davidson was looking to make a splash and acquire another top-five selection. They had their eyes set on dynamic Russian forward Ivan Demidov.

TSN hockey insider Pierre LeBrun flashed back to the blockbuster proposal on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday in the aftermath of Demidov signing his entry-level deal with the Montreal Canadiens.

"Thinking back to last June's draft: Chicago, which took Levshunov 2nd overall, offered its 2026 unprotected 1st Rd pick to CBJ for the 4th overall pick. The idea at the time being that the Blackhawks would have likely taken Demidov at 4. Habs fans happy that didn't materialize," LeBrun wrote.

Columbus declined Chicago's offer and wound up selecting centerman Cayden Lindstrom with the fourth overall pick, which then resulted in Ivan Demidov falling to Montreal at five.

The Blackhawks could also be thankful that the deal didn't materialize

While Montreal Canadiens fans are happy they landed Ivan Demidov, Chicago Blackhawks fans should also be thankful that their offer was declined.

The Hawks will finish among the bottom two teams in the NHL in 2024-25, and it's hard to see them doing much better next season. That makes their 2026 unprotected first-round pick extremely valuable, in a loaded draft class, headlined by Gavin McKenna.

Demidov would have been a great acquisition for Chicago, however, the potential to land Gavin McKenna in 2026 could be franchise-altering. A Bedard-McKenna duo is what could truly turn the Blackhawks' rebuild around, not to mention, the two happen to be cousins by marriage.

It remains to be seen where Chicago's 2026 first-rounder does in fact end up, but for now, all signs point to it being well worth keeping.