The 30-year old, 6-foot-3, 203-pound Burkovsky was originally selected by Washington in the first round (23rd overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft and will make $5.5 million for the next two seasons. He had 37 points (10 goals, 27 assists) in 79 games with Seattle in 2024–25.

The native of Klagenfurt, Austria, has appeared in 696 career regular season NHL games, over 11 seasons with the Capitals, Colorado Avalanche and Kraken. Over his career, he has won the Stanley Cup twice with Washington (2018) and Colorado (2022) in eight trips to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

In international play, Burakovsky has helped lead Sweden to silver medals at the 2012 World U18 Championship and the 2014 World Junior Championship.

The Chicago Blackhawks acquired Andre Burakovsky from the Seattle Kraken for Joseph Veleno

The post BREAKING: Blackhawks acquire Andre Burakovsky from Seattle appeared first on The Rink.

We interrupt the game in progress to inform you.. WE HAVE A TRADE pic.twitter.com/C7qotFudb0

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 29, 2023

Davidson acquired forward 26-year-old Anthony Beauvillier from the Canucks for a future fifth-round draft pick. Beauvillier comes with a cap hit of $4.15 million, which the Blackhawks can easily absorb, and is signed through the end of the 2023–24 season. He was acquired by Vancouver with Aatu Raty and a conditional 2023 first-round pick from the New York Islanders for Bo Horvat.

Beauvillier has played 22 games for the Canucks and has eight points (two goals, six assists). This move is just another Davidson move where he victimized a cap-strapped team by weaponizing his plethora of cap space.

Anthony Beauvillier, acquired by CHI, is a bottom six winger. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/0d6dgnJZBq

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) November 29, 2023

The post BREAKING: Blackhawks acquire Anthony Beauvillier appeared first on The Rink.

On Friday, in their first blockbuster trade in some time, the Blackhawks acquired Jones, a 2021 first-round pick (32nd overall) and a 2022 sixth-round pick from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for defenseman Adam Boqvist, Chicago’s 2021 first-round pick (12th overall), a 2021 second-round pick (44th overall) and Chicago’s 2022 first-round pick. Chicago then signed Jones in principle to an eight-year contract extension with an annual cap hit of $9.5 million.

That’s right, $9.5 million per year, for eight seasons! The reaction of “Wait, what? $9.5 million per season, is any defenseman worth that much?” is a completely natural reaction. I, for one, am not completely sold on the idea that at that price and term, anyone is worth that much. Adding the layer of trading Duncan Keith’s contract of $5.54 million per year, and Brent Seabrook’s retirement, relegating his once albatross of a contract to a minimal, long-term injured reserve cap hit, and the Hawks finally seemed to be rid of two bulky contracts that they could no longer afford to carry. And now this? With Jonathan Toews “possibly” coming back with a $10.5 million cap hit, Patrick Kane at the same price and now you have over $30 million wrapped up in three players for a team that technically should be “rebuilding?” Again, a natural reaction, and those that feel this way, you are not necessarily wrong, and I was certainly there with you and still may be there eventually.

If you pump the breaks and think about this further though, what Stan Bowman and company did was address a glaring need, and gave up a list of “possibles” for the “proven.” And, when you dig a little deeper and break down the dollars and cents, it is not as bad as it seems and there is one hell of a hockey player now on his way to the Windy City.

What did they lose here?

Okay, Chicago gave up Boqvist, a former top-10 pick, who may or may not pan out to be a legitimate NHL defenseman. Yes, he has upside, but he has also not found the game that many have hoped he would at this point. He is undersized, and frankly may continue to have a tough time in this league physically. It is as much or more of a gamble counting on his development than throwing a lot of coin at a proven professional. The picks Chicago gave up are just that, future scratch tickets and a lot of hope. A first-round pick between 10–20, which the Hawks dealt in 2021, and may have foreseeably dealt in 2022, could turn into significant NHL assets, but picking in that frame of the first round is not a lottery pick. However, you need to win the lottery for that player you pick to pan out. It is never a sure bet like a first or second overall draft choice.

What the Blackhawks did not give up in this deal were Alex DeBrincat or prized prospect Kirby Dach, many of whom feared would be included in a move to land Jones. And, if you are a firm Boqvist supporter, it was not that long ago that a similar Blackhawks’ prospect, Henri Jokiharju, once thought “untouchable,” was dealt to the Buffalo Sabres. Jokiharju has struggled since then and it is a wonder as to how much time he has left in the NHL.

Adam Boqvist (right) talks with Ian Mitchell (left) at Chicago Blackhawks development camp. (Photograph courtesy of the Chicago Blackhawks)

What did they get? A real hockey player.

So, what did the Hawks get with Jones? Hockey-wise, they got a stud, and that is not debatable. Jones is a top-10 NHL defenseman, who plays over 20 minutes a night, has a strong offensive component to his game, is physical and not a whole lot of fun for the opposition to play against. Jones is a massive upgrade to a Chicago blueline that is in significant need of help. Still shy of his 27th birthday, we still may have yet to see him at his best. The idea of possibly having Jones and Connor Murphy as the Hawks top two right-handed defensemen over the next few seasons is very appealing.

What about the contract?

On the contract, yes, every time I look at it, I wince, but let’s break it down. You now have your No. 1 defenseman stapled for eight more seasons following his last remaining year on his current contract and that extension expires when Jones is 35, not 39 or 40, which was the case with Keith and Seabrook. When the $9.5 million cap hit kicks in for the 2022–23 season, the contracts of Murphy, Calvin de Haan, Dominik Kubalik and Dylan Strome ($15.1 million per year combined) will all come off the books that summer. On the defensive side, Murphy probably would be one to re-sign, while it is realistic that de Haan could be trade deadline bait in the spring of 2022 or they let walk. Either way, there will be money to play with while the likes of Nicolas Beaudin, Wyatt Kalynuk and Ian Mitchell continue to mature and improve. Only Kalynuk will be a restricted free agent at that time and perhaps due for a small increase in pay and bridge deal. Then there is the current wildcard of restricted free agent Nikita Zadorov. He could be moved, and hopefully so, but Bowman certainly should not be in a rush to pay him right now.

Both contracts for Patrick Kane (pictured) and Jonathan Toews expire following the 2022–23 season, the first season of Seth Jones’ extension. (Photograph courtesy of Jim Rassol / AP)

And what about the three mega-deals with Jones, Kane and Toews? There is one year, the same year that de Haan and Murphy come off the books—2022–23—where that $30+ million is in effect…if that. Both Kane and Toews’ contracts expire after the 2022–23 season, one year into Jones’ lucrative extension. And, while we are all rooting for Toews to have a successful return to the team and the league, is it conceivable that he still may not be able to play, rendering his contract a marginal LTIR cap hit in 2022–23? Ah…you bet. And sadly, that may actually be very realistic at this point.

The Blackhawks needed an upgrade, and a splash if you will. We will not know how to accurately judge this move for a long time, and I definitely continue to go back and forth when thinking about it. That said, embrace the “proven” talent that is now on his way to West Madison Street. Jones is a dynamic player and a leader that will be the Blackhawks’ premier stalwart for the foreseeable future.

The post TRADE ANALYSIS: Blackhawks acquire Seth Jones, gamble on the ‘proven’ vs. ‘possible’ appeared first on The Rink.

The reporting on the negotiations between the Blackhawks and Oilers turned out to be accurate—retained salary by Chicago had been rumored to be a sticking point. In the end, the Oilers acquired Keith, who has two years remaining on his current contract, along with minor-league forward Tim Soderlund, for 24-year-old defenseman Caleb Jones and a conditional third-round pick—with Chicago not having to retain any of Keith’s salary.

The Chicago media—and Blackhawk Twitter—were quick to proclaim this a big win for Blackhawks President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Stan Bowman. But, that is not unusual. Bowman could acquire a roll of tape and a frighteningly large segment of the fanbase would still be “juiced.”

The key to this deal is the 24-year-old Jones, not because he is a hugely promising player, but because he just happens to be the younger brother of a rumored Blackhawk offseason target, Columbus defenseman Seth Jones.

Caleb Jones, by himself, is probably yet another No. 5–7 defenseman on a Chicago team already chock full of them. But, if his presence in Chicago could help the Hawks sign the elder Jones to an extension (after first trading for him), then the Keith trade will have worked out very well for Chicago, both in terms of securing a valuable rebuild piece for the blue line, and most of the cap room needed to sign him.

If not, then Caleb Jones and a third-round draft pick (the majority of which never actually play in the NHL) is not a “winning return” for an aging, but still likely effective (in the right situation, i.e. outside Chicago), Keith.

Finally, we would be remiss if we did not tap our sticks on the departure of a true warrior, and a vital cog in the great Blackhawk teams from 2009–15. Keith will be missed, and his No. 2 is certainly headed to the United Center rafters before too terribly long.

All we have for now.

The post TRADE ANALYSIS: Blackhawks deal Duncan Keith to Edmonton appeared first on The Rink.

Typically, 90%+ of the speculation is unfounded.

Still, this is an unusually important offseason for the Blackhawks. There is no conclusive evidence that the rebuild is working—or not working. The team overperformed the first half of last year (while playing a lot of games against Columbus and Detroit due to a COVID-19-dictated schedule), and then played pretty poorly from March 1 on.

Characterizing another season of not making the (actual) playoffs, the Hawks were yet again an abysmal 5-on-5 team (a much more serious—and roster-based—problem than many fans or the media seem to realize), making the possible (or not possible) return of center Jonathan Toews all the more critical to improvement in 2021–22.

So, here, based on the situation outlined above—and filtered through the lens of economics, past experience and logic—are various ways the summer might unfold for the Blackhawks, and what it all might mean.

Whither the “rebuild?”

The first—and most important—premise to understand is that the Hawks want to return to the playoffs, if not Stanley Cup contention, as soon as possible.

Rightly or wrongly, the team has committed to a “rebuild” around a few remaining (and rapidly aging) stars from the previous Stanley Cup teams. And this is really important to understand when you are considering the possibility that the Blackhawks could be trade or free-agency players for defensemen Seth Jones and Dougie Hamilton or forwards Jack Eichel and Matthew Tkachuk.

What most of the speculation around the Hawks pursuing any of these players seems to not take into account is that there will be significant markets for each of these players. Put more simply, it is not like Chicago General Manager Stan Bowman picks up the phone, calls Columbus General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen, offers Pius Suter, Ian Mitchell and a bag of pucks and magically acquires Jones.

There will be strong, league-wide interest in each of these players—which will drive up the “price” each player’s respective team is asking. Or, if Hamilton goes the unrestricted free agency route, the team that signs him will pay heavily in average annual value and term. And, if that team should be the Blackhawks, that price may be even higher, as they will be bidding against at least one or two teams that are closer to actual Cup contention.

So, if you want Jones, are you willing to give up Adam Boqvist and this year’s first-round pick (for starters)? If you want Eichel, are you willing to give up the above and Kirby Dach?

Or, say, Alex DeBrincat and this year’s first-round selection and something else.

Or Patrick Kane?

If you want Hamilton, are you willing to pay him $8–9 million a year until he is, say, 35—with a no-movement clause?

Most fans, if Hawk Twitter over the last week or so is any good metric, would balk.

Again, typically, many Blackhawk fans tend to overvalue Chicago players and prospects versus those of other teams—so we can debate whether Eichel is worth “so much” ‘til the cows come home. But, what probably is not debatable is that the price is going to be high, and it is going to mean giving up “good” players that you are currently trying to rebuild around (or with).

Setting the price aside, it also means this: Jones, Hamilton, Eichel or Tkachuk are elite or near-elite young (or “younger,” anyway) players. Each is better than Boqvist or Dach. Or DeBrincat. And odds are, each will be over the course of the players’ respective careers.

There is a school of thought that you need to acquire potentially elite, near-elite and/or already-elite players in order to rebuild into a Cup contender. So, there is an argument that packaging up pieces and parts of the recent “rebuild” to acquire a young difference-maker at defense or center—both huge areas of need for Chicago)—makes some sense. Simply stated, trade two or three good (or “potentially good”) young players/prospects for a great young player.

But, would Bowman do that? If we had to bet, we would say no. Big, bold, splashy moves have never been Bowman’s forte. Further, the Hawk organization has invested a lot of time and “reputational” capital in their “rebuild around Kane, Toews and Duncan Keith” plan.

However, there is ample evidence that the hoped-for acquisition and development of enough good young players to re-establish the Blackhawks as contenders—while Kane, Keith and Toews are still productive players—is becoming less and less likely.

And those of you still holding onto the idea that the Hawks really have improved a lot and are close to a return to the league’s elite, need to go watch more of this year’s playoff games—see and understand the speed, the depth and the physicality of teams like Colorado, Vegas, Tampa Bay, the New York Islanders, etc.—and then go hit yourself in the head with a ballpeen hammer.

That said, one of the hallmarks of a strong organization and a strong general manager is to recognize when a plan is not working and adroitly adjust course. But, this, also, has not been one of Bowman’s strong suits.

However, his 2019 draft, where he deliberately and publicly went “big” with Dach and defenseman Alex Vlasic, was a course change and an admission that years of drafting small, but “skilled” skaters was not paying off.

Eichel and Toews, Toews and Eichel

Toews has missed a full year of hockey with a mystery “ailment,” and he will be 34 years old at the end of the upcoming season. Here at The Rink, we are huge Toews fans. But, all of us need to be realistic in our expectations.

Based on the scant information anyone (beyond Toews, his agent, his doctor and the Blackhawks) has, there is a plausible scenario where Toews gets 100% “healthy,” returns to full workouts and comes back rejuvenated after a year off—giving the team a nice and much-needed lift in the face-off circle, 5-on-5, on special teams, etc.

But, there are other, perhaps more likely, scenarios where Toews cannot return—or if he does return, he is somewhat diminished due to the “ailment/injury” and/or age, or he returns, but his ability to play is sporadic for the remainder of his career.

This comes back to Eichel. Eichel is not a 1:1 “doppelganger” for Toews, but they are both No. 1 centers, team captains and somewhat similar stylistically. And, at 24 years of age, entering really the prime of his career, Eichel is in all likelihood an upgrade at the 1C position in the lineup.

In addition to the possibility Buffalo does not even trade Eichel, it is also plausible that the Hawks might only publicly “kick the tires” to see if there would be some way to add him in—along with Toews returning. But, that is almost impossible due to salary alone. Talking about going after Eichel to get some news coverage is a lot different than actually going after Eichel.

So, if you do see the Hawks (legitimately, not speculatively) make a hard move for Eichel this summer, you can pretty safely assume that the team is none too confident in Toews’ prospects going forward. And, should the team succeed in acquiring Eichel, you can also expect, along with that, a bit of a roster overhaul and overall course correction on the “rebuild.”

There is no question, even with Toews, the Blackhawks have needed much better play at the center position to get back in contention.

Some keep holding out for Dylan Strome to be part of that solution, which is probably not happening.

Many have rushed to assume that Dach solves that problem. It is way too early to say that, however, and it remains to be seen if Dach ends up over the course of his NHL career as a winger or a No. 2 center (a level he is still working toward), instead of a No. 1 center.

So, while the Hawk blueline remains a vexing and obvious problem, do not be surprised if the focus of the team this summer lies on a young, expensive center from Massachusetts.

What will happen?

Just due to the law of averages, the Blackhawks probably will not acquire any of the three or four marquee “available” players this summer. And, they will continue on their present course, draft another potentially “good” player at 12th overall, pray for Toews’ healthy (and durable) return and hope for some organic growth from their current batch of young players and prospects.

If the Hawks do not enter the Eichel sweepstakes, the next most likely target would potentially be Jones. Could Bowman craft a package that might sway Kekalainen that somehow does not strip too much of the Blackhawks’ already thin supply of good players and prospects? Would Jones commit to extend his contract in Chicago? Big questions.

Or, Bowman might swing a trade or two to “upgrade” the middle of the roster somehow. The team might even take a dip in the free agency pool, albeit shopping more on the budget rack as has become the norm in recent years.

But, this offseason, or perhaps before the in-season trade deadline, that “course correction” we suggested above could happen—where the team finally acknowledges (if not publicly, then to themselves) that Kane, Keith and Toews will not be good enough, long enough, for the young players and prospects to catch up with them.

All we have for now. Comment below.

The post ANALYSIS: What to expect from the Blackhawks’ offseason appeared first on The Rink.