Norm Maciver Associate General Manager | Official Website
The Chicago Blackhawks have announced a trade agreement with the Utah Hockey Club, acquiring forward Aku Raty and defensemen Victor Soderstrom and Shea Weber. In return, the Blackhawks will send their 2026 fifth-round pick to Utah.
Shea Weber, a veteran defenseman from Sicamous, British Columbia, has an impressive career history. He is a two-time Olympic gold medalist with Team Canada (2010, 2014) and has also secured gold medals at the 2007 IIHF World Championship and the 2005 IIHF World Junior Championship. Additionally, he earned a silver medal at the 2008 IIHF World Championship. Throughout his career, Weber was twice named to the NHL’s First All-Star Team in 2010-11 and 2011-12 and earned Second All-Star Team honors in 2013-14 and 2014-15. He appeared in seven NHL All-Star Games between 2009 and 2020.
Aku Raty, aged 23, has been active this season with the Tucson Roadrunners of the American Hockey League (AHL), where he played in 50 games and recorded 19 points (4 goals, 15 assists). Last season, Raty made his NHL debut with the Arizona Coyotes on April 17, recording one assist against Edmonton. The Oulu, Finland native was originally selected by Arizona in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft.
Victor Soderstrom is another key addition for Chicago. At age 24, he tallied an impressive record with Brynäs IF of the Swedish Hockey League this season—36 points (9 goals, 27 assists) over just 47 games. Soderstrom's professional journey includes playing for Arizona in the NHL from 2021 to 2024 as well as extensive experience in AHL games with Tucson.
Weber's extensive career spans from being drafted by Nashville Predators in the second round of the NHL Draft to skating over a thousand regular-season games until retiring after playing for both Nashville Predators and Montreal Canadiens. His achievements include induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November last year along with receiving numerous accolades such as Mark Messier Leadership Award during his tenure on ice between those teams.
This acquisition represents strategic roster adjustments for Chicago aiming towards strengthening team depth across various positions going forward into future seasons.