Colorado Acquires Defensive Prospect Dennis Gilbert From Chicago

Oct 12, 2020

DENVER – The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that the team has acquired forward Brandon Saad and defenseman Dennis Gilbert from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for defensemen Nikita Zadorov and Anton Lindholm.

 

Gilbert, 23, split the 2019-20 campaign between the Blackhawks and their American Hockey League affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs.  He skated in 21 games for Chicago, notching three points (1g/2a) and dressed in 30 games for Rockford, tallying seven points (1g/6a).  The Buffalo, New York, native recorded his first career NHL point (assist) on Dec. 12, 2019 at Arizona and scored his first career NHL goal on Dec. 27, 2019 vs. NY Islanders.

 

Chicago's third-round selection (91st overall) in the 2015 NHL Draft, Gilbert made his NHL debut with the Blackhawks on April 3, 2019 vs. St. Louis.  He spent the majority of that 2018-19 season—his first as a professional—with Rockford, tallying 14 points (5g/9a). 

 

Prior to turning pro, the 6-foot-2, 216-pound rearguard played three seasons at the University of Notre Dame, where he had 42 points (6g/36a) over 116 college games.  He was named the Hockey East’s Best Defensive Defenseman and was named to the Hockey East Third All-Star Team as a sophomore in 2016-17.  Before he enrolled at Notre Dame, Gilbert played one season with the Chicago Steel where he was named to the USHL All-Rookie Team.

 

Lindholm, 25, was Colorado’s fifth-round pick (144th overall) in the 2014 NHL Draft.  He skated in 66 career NHL games with the Avalanche, tallying five points (0g/5a), as well as 164 AHL games tallying 29 points (4g/25a).