Byfuglien traded

[DPU70]

Cut his celebration short.  Traded to Atlanta for draft picks.

http://blackhawks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=532602

[Demons4ever]

They would have never won the cup without his contributions.  It was great to see him grow over the years from a player who had conditioning problems in his early years as a defenseman to a power forward who was a menace for teams in the playoffs. 

However, it was smart to trade him when his value was at an all-time high (his playoffs the past 2 years hid the fact that he was very inconsistent during the regular season).  They get an additional 1st and 2nd round pick, and get the Thrashers second best prospect, who could be on the team next season.  Sopel and Eager were also solid contributors, but Sopel is 34 with too big of a cap hit and Eager is not really needed with some of the Hawks younger players able to fill his role on the team. 

Colin Fraser was also traded yesterday to the Oilers for a 6th round pick.