In their final move before the 2026 NHL trade deadline, the Chicago Blackhawks traded forward prospect Aidan Thompson to the New York Rangers in exchange for left-handed defenseman Derrick Pouliot on Friday. The deal was announced 30 minutes before the deadline came into effect.
Thompson, 24, was a third-round pick (No. 90 overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft and played three years of college hockey at the University of Denver before turning professional last spring. In 121 career NCAA games with the Pioneers, Thompson tallied 117 points (42G, 75A). During his final season as a junior, he recorded 21 goals and 34 assists for 55 points in 44 games played.
The 5-foot-11, 180-pound forward made his professional debut with the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL towards the end of the 2024-25 campaign. In four regular-season games, he produced one assist. Thompson also appeared in seven Calder Cup Playoff games for the IceHogs, impressively earning two goals and two assists for four points.
In his first full season at the professional level, Thompson dealt with consistency issues and wasn’t regularly producing for Rockford. In 40 games with the IceHogs this year, he had six goals and nine assists for 15 points. He plays a solid two-way game and has good pace, but is undersized and doesn’t have any standout offensive attributes.
Considering the Blackhawks are expected to have high-end prospects like Anton Frondell, Sacha Boisvert, and potentially Nick Lardis as well, all up in the NHL for the finishing stretch of the season, there wasn’t an open spot for Thompson to receive any opportunities. Not that he’s been knocking on the door for one, but it’s worth pointing out.
Already 24 years old, Thompson’s chances of becoming an NHL puzzle piece with the Blackhawks were very slim, especially with a remarkably deep prospect pool.
Pouliot, 32, has spent the last two seasons playing entirely at the AHL level, and he’s only appeared in 26 NHL games since 2018-19. He last played in the big leagues with the Dallas Stars in 2023-24, appearing in five games and failing to register a point.
In 52 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack this year, Pouliot has recorded two goals and 26 assists for 28 points. He’s currently tied for the 15th-most points among all AHL defensemen. Pouliot was the second-leader scorer among all AHL blue-liners in 2024-25, with 53 points (7G, 46A) in 70 games.
Pouliot has made many stops in his 14 professional seasons, playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues, Vegas Golden Knights, Seattle Kraken, San Jose Sharks, and Dallas Stars organizations. He made NHL appearances with each one of those clubs, but that likely won’t happen in Chicago.
Instead, Pouliot has already been assigned to the IceHogs, according to the AHL’s transaction log. Pouliot will provide much-needed support for Rockford’s defense, which has been remarkably thin with Kevin Korchinski, Ethan Del Mastro, and Sam Rinzel all up with the Blackhawks. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound defenseman also brings pivotal veteran experience, which there isn’t much of within the young group.
Pouliot is a former eighth overall selection by the Penguins in the 2012 NHL Draft. In 226 career NHL games, he has eight goals and 46 assists for 54 points. Pouliot’s contract runs through the 2026-27 season and carries a $775,000 cap hit.
For more Blackhawks news, visit Chicago Hockey Now and like our Facebook Page.
Follow us on X: