The Chicago Blackhawks have announced the acquisition of forward Andre Burakovsky from the Seattle Kraken in a trade that sends forward Joe Veleno to Seattle.
Burakovsky, 30, scored 37 points, including 10 goals and 27 assists, over 79 regular-season games with Seattle last season. He ranked fourth in assists on the Kraken team during the 2024-25 campaign and was tied for eighth in total points and placed tenth in goals.
Originating from Klagenfurt, Austria, Burakovsky has participated in 696 career regular-season NHL games. Over his career spanning teams like Washington, Colorado, and Seattle, he accumulated 387 points through 153 goals and 234 assists across 11 seasons. Notably, he is one of only ten Austrian-born players to compete in the NHL and ranks second among them in terms of games played, points, and assists. His postseason record includes achieving 47 points (20 goals and 27 assists) over 93 games. Additionally, he has made eight appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, securing two championship wins with Washington (2018) and Colorado (2022).
Internationally, Burakovsky represented Sweden at the IIHF World Championship twice, winning a bronze medal in 2024. He also contributed to Sweden's silver medals at both the World U18 Championship in 2012 and the World Junior Championship in 2014.
Standing at six feet three inches tall and weighing 203 pounds, Burakovsky was initially selected by Washington as their first-round pick (23rd overall) during the NHL Draft of 2013.
On the other hand, Veleno recorded a total of 17 points (8 goals and nine assists) over a span of regular-season games split between Detroit Red Wings and Chicago during the previous season. He started with Detroit posting ten points across five goals and five assists over a period of fifty-six games before being acquired by Chicago on March seventh through an exchange involving goaltender Petr Mrazek along with Craig Smith. Subsequently joining Chicago’s lineup last season resulted in adding seven more points via three goals plus four assists within eighteen games for Blackhawks.