The Chicago Blackhawks already surprised their fans by trading the fourth overall selection in the 2026 NHL Draft to the Buffalo Sabres in return for Bowen Byram and Jordan Greenway, meaning that they do not have a first-round pick in the Draft that begins on Friday evening from Buffalo.
The Blackhawks have selected first, second, and third overall in the last three NHL Drafts, bringing aboard Connor Bedard, Artyom Levshunov, and Anton Lundell, all players that Chicago general manager Kyle Davidson is hoping will be able to lead the charge to the club’s next run at glory.
In the meantime, the Blackhawks have traded a former first-round Draft selection to the Eastern Conference, which could potentially signal future moves are on the way.
The Chicago Blackhawks Have Traded Andre Burakovsky To The Ottawa Senators
On Friday, the Blackhawks traded forward Andre Burakovsky, who is coming off his first and only season in the Windy City, to the Ottawa Senators. In return, the Senators sent a sixth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft back to Chicago.
The Senators recently pulled off a stunning move of their own, trading captain Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers to join forces with his brother Matthew Tkachuk.
In return for Tkachuk, the Senators received the No. 9 and No. 25 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, another first-round pick (conditional) in the 2029 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.
Burakovsky was taken in the first round (23rd overall selection) by the Washington Capitals in the 2013 NHL Draft, and he would spend the first several seasons of his career with the club. Eventually, Burakovsky raised the Stanley Cup as a member of the Capitals in 2018; he scored two goals and four assists in 13 postseason games that spring.
After another season in Washington, he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche Scott Kosmachuk and a second and third-round pick in 2020. Eventually, he was re-signed to a two-year, $9.8 million deal by the Avalanche, with whom he won his second Stanley Cup ring in 2022, defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning.
During the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Burakovsky tallied three goals with five assists in 13 postseason games.
Just weeks later, he would sign a five-year, $27.5 million contract with the Seattle Kraken, and would even help the Kraken defeat the Avalanche in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs the following spring.
Last offseason, the Kraken traded Burakovsky to the Blackhawks for Joe Veleno, who was then bought out. In his first and only season with Chicago, Burakovsky appeared in 75 games and scored 11 goals with 22 assists.
The Blackhawks Traded Their First Round Pick To The Sabres
The Blackhawks traded their first-round selection to the Sabres in return for Bowen Byram and Jordan Greenway, players whom Davidson believes will help the club moving forward.
“He’s going to be provided an opportunity to grow his profile, grow into his game, but (also) provide an elite play-driving influence into our lineup,” Davidson said. “He’s already one of the top 5-on-5 play drivers in the League, and that’s before he even gets on the first power-play unit. So, we’re going to be able to provide that to him.
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