In the third round of the 2024 NHL Draft, the Chicago Blackhawks selected forward Jack Pridham with the 94th overall selection, and while he was initially thought of as being potentially part of the club’s future, that future is now going to be elsewhere.
Pridham’s time with the Blackhawks organization came to a close on Monday, as his rights were traded away to the same Eastern Conference club that Chicago defeated 11 years ago in the Stanley Cup Final.
The Chicago Blackhawks Traded The Rights To Prospect Jack Pridham To The Eastern Conference
On Monday, the Blackhawks announced that they’d traded the signing rights of prospect Jack Pridham to the Tampa Bay Lightning, receiving a third round selection in the 2027 NHL Draft in return.
Pridham, 20, enjoyed a breakout campaign with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League, tallying 46 goals and 90 points across 65 regular-season contests. His 46 goals were the second-highest total among OHL players this year, while his 16 power-play markers tied for third and his 90 points ranked fifth overall in league scoring.
The productive forward also made a major impact during Kitchener’s postseason run, collecting a team-best 15 assists and 17 points in 18 playoff appearances. He capped off his impressive season in style, recording a goal and two assists in Sunday night’s Memorial Cup Championship victory.
Pridham finished atop the tournament leaderboard with five goals and nine points, further cementing his status as one of junior hockey’s premier offensive talents.
In 113 total OHL regular season games, Pridham scored 73 goals to go with 71 assists. Additionally, he added nine goals and 21 assists in 30 career OHL postseason games.
For his contributions this season with the Rangers, he was named the recipient of the Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy as the OHL’s Overage Player of the Year.
Jack Pridham Is Now Heading To The Tampa Bay Lightning
Pridham, who is now under the control of the Tampa Bay Lightning, is known for his strong skating, according to his scouting report via Elite Prospects.
“Pridham is a nuanced north-to-south attacker who leverages speed, edge work, and a high-end motor to create advantages,” his scouting report read. “On-puck, Pridham ramps up proactively, pushes defenders on their heels, blends delay elements opening up lanes to attack inside, and executed quick, but simple tap-by handles to slip pressure off the entry.”
Right now, there’s no telling who will ultimately end up as the winner of this trade. If Pridham pans out and becomes an effective NHL player, there could be some regret on the part of Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson, who was recently re-signed to a multi-year contract extension.
However, if he doesn’t pan out to become an effective NHL player, the Blackhawks at least secured a future draft selection in return.
Blackhawks Trade Promising Prospect To Eastern Conference