The Chicago Blackhawks pulled off a major trade with less than a week before the 2025 draft begins. The Blackhawks were expected to try to make a trade for an NHL player, given their need for help at the forward position, but lack of will to want to outbid for an elite player in free agency.
Chicago is expected to play their young core in head coach Jeff Blashill’s first season with the team. Entering the offseason with the fifth-most cap space in the league, general manager Kyle Davidson knew he needed to add a special veteran to help provide leadership on a team ready to show progress in the upcoming season, the third of Connor Bedard’s career.
The Chicago Blackhawks traded for Andrew Burakovsky
Per the Blackhawks’ website, the team traded forward Joe Veleno to the Seattle Kraken for veteran forward Andrew Burakovsky.
“Burakovsky, 30, registered 37 points (10G, 27A) in 79 regular-season games with Seattle last season,” the release from the Blackhawks states. “The forward ranked fourth on the Kraken with 27 assists during the 2024-25 campaign, while he finished tied for eighth in points (37) and 10th in goals (10).
“The native of Klagenfurt, Austria has appeared in 696 career regular-season NHL games, earning 387 career points (153G, 234A) over 11 seasons with Washington, Colorado and Seattle… The forward has also recorded 47 points (20G, 27A) in 93 career postseason games. He has made eight trips to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in his career, winning the Stanley Cup twice with Washington (2018) and Colorado (2022).”
🔔 Saturday morning trade
📰https://t.co/AbwI3XDkg5 pic.twitter.com/o5hDTSs7Au
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) June 21, 2025
The Washington Capitals selected Burakovsky in the first round of the 2013 NHL Draft. The six-foot-3, 203-pound winger will help aid centres Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar in goal production in the upcoming season.
The Blackhawks added Valeno in March via a trade involving the Detroit Red Wings. He scored seven points in his 18 appearances with Chicago last season.
Burakovsky has two seasons remaining on a five-year deal he signed worth $27.5 million.
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