There are always one or two moves around the NHL trade deadline that just take the hockey world by surprise. Not because the trade is necessarily bad, but because a player no one thought was on the market was dealt.
This season, that trade is the acquisition of Filip Hronek for the Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks swung a massive deal with the Detroit Red Wings to acquire the 25-year-old defenseman.
The dust is settling a bit on this deal. With cooler heads prevailing, let's examine the Filip Hronek trade and hand out grades to the Red Wings and Canucks for their involvement in this transaction.
Full trade
The Vancouver Canucks acquired defenseman Filip Hronek and a 2023 fourth-round pick from the Detroit Red Wings. In return, the Red Wings acquired a conditional 2023 first-round pick and a 2023 second-round pick from Vancouver.
The first round-pick Detroit receives in this deal originally belonged to the New York Islanders. This pick transferred to the Canucks as part of the Bo Horvat trade back in late January.
The condition on the pick also stems from that deal. If the pick is in the top 12 of the draft, the pick then becomes an unprotected 2024 first-round pick that now belongs to the Red Wings by virtue of this deal.
Vancouver Canucks acquire Filip Hronek
When I began planning these trade grades, I had every intention of just ripping into the Canucks for this move. It reeks of desperation from a team unable to quell its inner toxicity, so it acquires players to mask it.
However, I am going to be a bit optimistic about this trade. Hronek is a good hockey player, but he isn't worth what the Canucks gave up to get him. And he certainly isn't what Vancouver needs from a trade like this.
The fourth-round pick doesn't mean much of anything. The prize pick here is Hronek, and while he's good, he's the opposite of what the team needs at this very moment.
The 25-year-old is an offensive-minded blueliner. He set a career-high nine goals in the NHL this season with 38 points, which matches his previous career high. He is adept at moving the puck and would vastly improve any powerplay unit across the league.
The problem is the price tag. Vancouver uses a piece from their big Bo Horvat trade in this deal. Now, they have two players from that deal who may or may not turn out to be something special.
That first-round pick is likely to transfer this season. Furthermore, that first-round pick is likely to end up somewhere around the teens. In a deep 2023 NHL Draft class, this isn't a great move.
Hronek is going to draw a lot of comparisons to Jakob Chychrun, who was traded to the Ottawa Senators recently. Both players are near the same age and they both play the game with a lot of energy. Chychrun went for a similar price, the difference being a 2026 second-round pick.
If the Canucks wanted to make this type of deal, why didn't they acquire Chychrun? The new Senators defender is a much more well-rounded player, playing a complete 200-foot game night in and night out.
Hronek is certainly not the answer to Vancouver's needs right now. He is an offensive blueliner first and a defenseman second. The 25-year-old isn't a great fit in that sense and it'll be interesting to see how his offensive tendencies clash with Quinn Hughes should they play together.
The Canucks paid a hefty price for a player who just kind of does what he's good at. He doesn't defend too well, but he can score, and if given the opportunity, that's what he does. It doesn't move the needle much.
Red Wings trade Filip Hronek
The Red Wings did absolutely well in this trade. They sold high on a player who is likely at the peak of the puzzle for shouting at her to let her in and got a very nice haul of picks here.
The first-round pick is a big one for Detroit. They may not get it in 2023, but I don't think they mind all that much. This draft is supposed to be incredibly deep, giving whoever makes an extra first-round pick ample opportunity to add talent to their prospect pool.
This trade could be the precursor to another move in Hockeytown. Detroit now has a glaring hole on the right-hand side of its defense. Perhaps they flip this Islanders first-rounder for help there?
Or maybe Yzerman simply wanted to buy high on a player who will likely see some regression in his play. In any event, Detroit does incredibly well in this trade to receive the assets they do.
Grades and final thoughts
The Red Wings come away with a higher grade here. They received a better haul for Hronek than they had business asking for. And they have a lot of options for how they will replace the players lost.
Vancouver doesn't get a terrible grade, but I can't give them truly high marks. Hronek fits their timeline given his age and contract, but that's it. He isn't the type of defenseman they really need, and he doesn't take them to the next level either.
Detroit Red Wings grade: A
Vancouver Canucks grade: C
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