Getting a 3rd round pick from the Hurricanes gives the Blackhawks nine total selections in the upcoming draft.

The deal sees Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall go to Carolina and Martin Necas, Jack Drury and draft picks head to Colorado. Chicago gets its own 2025 third-round pick back and takes on half of Rantanen's $9.

In the weeks leading up to his trade to Carolina, Taylor Hall repeatedly said he wanted to stay in Chicago, that he wanted to be a part of what the Blackhawks were building, that he wanted to settle down in one city in the twilight of his peripatetic career.

Hall broke down the timeline of the blockbuster trade from his perspective Thursday. He claimed he's "definitely a better player than the amount I was playing" during his final weeks in Chicago.