Blackhawks acquire Derrick Pouliot from Rangers for Aidan Thompson
The Chicago Blackhawks have added a depth defenseman to their organization.
On Friday, Chicago acquired Derrick Pouliot from the New York Rangers in exchange for forward Aidan Thompson.
The Blackhawks have traded forward Aidan Thompson to the New York Rangers for defenseman Derrick Pouliot.
Pouliot, 32, has not played in the NHL since the 2023-24 season, when he went five scoreless games with the Dallas Stars. In 52 games with the Rangers’ AHL affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack this season, the Estevan, Saskatchewan native two goals and 26 assists for 28 points.
Initially selected eigth overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, Pouliot joined Pittsburgh’s organization for the 2014-15 season, splitting his time between the NHL and the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
After three seasons of bouncing between the NHL and AHL with the Penguins, Pouliot was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks in October of 2017 for defenseman Andrey Pedan. It was in Vancouver where Pouliot got his chance to be a full-time NHLer. Over 133 games over two seasons with the Canucks, he put up six goals and 28 assists for 34 points.
After leaving the Canucks as a free agent ahead of the 2019-20 season, Pouliot would go on to play for seven different organizations before signing a two-year, $1.55 million deal with the Rangers this past offseason.
Thompson, 24, was Chicago’s third-round pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. He has yet to play in the NHL is his career so far.
This is Thompson’s first full-time season as a professional after a successful three-year collegiate career with the University of Denver. In 40 games for the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs this season, the Fort Collins, Colorado native has six goals and nine assists for 15 points. He had a short cup of coffee with Rockford last season after the end of his college season, managing an assist in four games.
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