A day after telling the media at Soldier Field that he wasn't looking to make any moves heading toward the NHL trade deadline Wednesday, Blackhawks General Manager Stan Bowman made a bit of a reversal, sending forward Brandon Pirri to the Florida Panthers in exchange for two draft picks.
The picks are a third round pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft and a fifth round pick in the 2016 Draft, according to TSN's Bob Mackenzie.
Pirri, a 2nd-round draft pick of the Hawks in 2009, had 10 goals and 14 assists in 25 games with the Rockford IceHogs this season, and was named the MVP of the AHL All-Star Game last month. He also had six goals and five assists in 28 games with the Blackhawks.
Pirri will join forward Jimmy Hayes and defenseman Dylan Olsen in Florida, who were both sent to the Panthers earlier this season when the Hawks acquired Kris Versteeg. Pirri never could fit into a consistent role with Chicago with head coach Joel Quenneville not satisfied enough with his defensive abilities to give him a slot as the second line center between Patrick Kane and Versteeg.
