The Chicago Blackhawks acquired Andre Burakovsky from the Seattle Kraken in exchange for Joe Veleno on Saturday.
The trade clears cap space and a winger logjam for the Kraken while giving the Blackhawks a two-time Stanley Cup champion who’s still only 30 years old.
Burakovsky has two years left on his five-year contract with a $5.5-million cap hit and a 10-team no-trade list, according to PuckPedia. The left winger had 10 goals and 27 assists for 37 points for the Kraken this past season. Before that, he had 16 points in 49 games in 2023-24 and 39 points in 49 games in 2022-23.
Burakovsky’s career-high 22 goals and 61 points came with the Colorado Avalanche in 2021-22, when he added eight points in 12 playoff games en route to his team’s Stanley Cup win.
In 2017-18, Burakovsky won his first Stanley Cup championship with the Washington Capitals, the team that selected him 23rd overall in the 2013 NHL draft.
With Burakovsky, the Blackhawks get another potential top-six winger to improve their scoring and competitiveness in their rebuilding years. Burakovsky saw his ice time decrease with the Kraken, going from 16:33 per game in 2022-23 to 14:25 this past season, but that could improve in Chicago.
After the Kraken acquired left winger Mason Marchment earlier this week, they had five wingers earning at least $4.5 million. Trading Burakovsky for Veleno, a center, tweaks the depth at each position.
“Andre was a valuable player for our organization during the three years he was here, and we wish him and his family the best of luck in Chicago,” new Kraken GM Jason Botterill told NHL.com. “In return, we’ve acquired a young player with experience while also increasing our salary cap flexibility moving forward.”
Veleno, 25, has 81 points in 306 career games, including a career-high 28 points in 80 games with the Detroit Red Wings in 2023-24. In 2024-25, he had eight goals and 17 points in 74 games between the Wings and Blackhawks, which acquired him at the NHL trade deadline. He has one year left on his contract with a $2.275-million cap hit. He would be an RFA with arbitration rights if he doesn’t sign a contract extension beforehand.
As for this off-season, the Kraken have three pending RFAs: right winger Kaapo Kakko, left winger Tye Kartye and defenseman Ryker Evans. Michael Eyssimont is also a pending UFA. And in the summer of 2026, captain Jordan Eberle, Jaden Schwartz, Marchment, Eeli Tolvanen and Jamie Oleksiak are pending UFAs. Trading Burakovsky also helps with salary cap flexibility at that point.
More to come.
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