Blackhawks Trade for Two-Time Stanley Cup Champion Burakovsky

The Chicago Blackhawks are preparing for the 2025 NHL Draft with the third overall pick, considering prospects like Michael Misa and Anton Frondell, though no final decision has been made. The team is focused on building a young roster for the 2025-26 season, blending emerging talent with veteran players such as Bertuzzi and Teravainen, while expecting restricted free agents like Phillip Kurashev to depart. Despite a desire to re-sign key young players Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar, contract talks are expected to be delayed. The Blackhawks recently made a notable trade acquiring two-time Stanley Cup champion Andre Burakovsky from the Seattle Kraken in exchange for Joe Veleno, aiming to add experienced depth alongside their youth movement. However, Chicago missed opportunities to acquire impactful forwards Trevor Zegras and Mason Marchment, whose recent trades involved relatively low costs that the Blackhawks could have matched. Overall, the Blackhawks are actively navigating free agency and trades to strengthen their roster ahead of the upcoming season, with hopes of adding a top-six forward to complement Bedard.