The Chicago Blackhawks moved on from forward Andre Burakovsky on Friday, sending him to the Ottawa Senators for a 2027 sixth-round draft pick. End of an era? More like end of a one-year experiment that didn’t quite work out.
Burakovsky, 31, played 75 games for Chicago in 2025-26. He put up 11 goals and 22 assists — 33 points — but finished with a minus-32 rating. That’s rough. The first half of his season actually looked decent: 10 goals and 29 points in his first 41 games. Then January hit and everything went cold. Over his final 34 games, he managed just one goal and four points. That kind of drop-off makes a front office nervous.
How We Got Here
Chicago originally got Burakovsky from Seattle in 2025, giving up Joe Veleno in the swap. Seattle later bought out Veleno. So the Blackhawks turned a trade chip into a late-round pick, which is fine but not exactly exciting.
His contract is the big story here. Burakovsky is entering the final season of a five-year, $27.5 million deal he signed with the Kraken in 2022. That’s a $5.5 million cap hit. For a guy who basically disappeared in the second half, that’s a lot of money. The Blackhawks had reportedly considered buying him out, so getting anything back — even a sixth-rounder — is something.
Burakovsky’s Resume
Let’s not pretend he’s a nobody. Burakovsky was drafted 23rd overall by Washington in 2013. He’s played 771 regular-season games for the Capitals, Avalanche, Kraken, and Blackhawks. Career totals: 164 goals, 256 assists, 420 points. Not Hall of Fame stuff, but solid.
He’s also got hardware. Burakovsky won the Stanley Cup with Washington in 2018 and again with Colorado in 2022. His best season came with the Avalanche in 2021-22, when he set career highs with 22 goals, 39 assists, and 61 points. In 93 playoff games, he’s got 20 goals and 47 points. That’s the kind of experience Ottawa is betting on.
What Ottawa’s Doing
The Senators have been busy. Really busy. They already traded captain Brady Tkachuk to Florida in a blockbuster and picked up William Eklund from San Jose. Earlier Friday, they added goalie Samuel Ersson from Toronto and signed defenseman Jordan Spence to a four-year, $20 million extension. Adding Burakovsky for a sixth-rounder is a low-risk move. If he bounces back, great. If not, they’re not out much.
For Chicago, this is another small step in the rebuild. They’re collecting picks and clearing cap space. Nothing flashy, just business.
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