The Chicago Blackhawks made a trade Saturday with the Seattle Kraken for Andre Burakovsky in exchange for Joe Veleno.
This move by Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson came on the heels of a busy day that also involved the buyout of veteran defender TJ Brodie.
For the Hawks, they acquire an experienced middle 6 forward in Burakovsky. The 30 year old is a two time Stanley Cup Champ, having won with the 2018 Capitals and 2022 Avalanche. He has amassed 153 goals and 234 assists in his 696 game career.
Andre has had his struggles the last couple years with the Kraken recovering from injuries; this offers him a chance at a fresh start with a promising young Hawks team. He could be an option to play in a top line role on Connor Bedard’s wing. Overall, this a low risk high investment for a Hawks team that is loaded with cap space to work with this offseason.
For the Kraken, another team that has been busy lately having recently acquired Mason Marchment, they add yet another depth forward to the rotation. The former exceptional status player has touted 38 goals and 43 assists in his 306 game career.
The 25 year old Veleno will likely play in a 4th line role on this squad. Joe would have been fighting for a roster spot with a Hawks team in the middle of a burgeoning youth movement. The trade makes sense for Seattle from a cap standpoint as they shed the $5.5 million contract that Burakovsky took on the books.
