What the Andre Burakovsky Trade Means for the Blackhawks

Chicago Blackhawks general manager (GM) Kyle Davidson got draft day started with his first trade. The Blackhawks have sent veteran Andre Burakovsky to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2027 Draft.

Burakovsky had one year left on his deal with an average annual value (AAV) of $5.5 million, and I really thought that Davidson should have just taken the bullet and bought him out. Back in April, I wrote an article about how the Blackhawks should buy him out.

If you were to buy out Burakovsky prior to the season beginning, his cap hit this season would be reduced from $5.5 million to $3 million. His dead cap hit would only affect the team for one season, amounting to $1.25 million during the 2027-28 season.

He really struggled this season, recording only four points in the final 37 games, and was also not particularly reliable defensively.

The Blackhawks now have a projected $36 million in cap space for next season and need to spend just under $10 million to reach the cap floor. That won’t be a problem with Connor Bedard, still currently unsigned, but they do still have holes in the roster.

What Do the Blackhawks Do Now?

As much as I love this move for the Blackhawks, Davidson has his work cut out for him to fill that role as a middle-six winger.

Jordan Greenway was just acquired in the Bowen Byram trade, but I see Greenway as more of a fourth-line winger rather than a guy who’ll play on the second or third line.

One option I’ve loved for the Blackhawks is Mason Marchment. I know he doesn’t play on the right side as Burakovsky did for the Blackhawks, but you can rejig the lineup a little bit to make Marchment fit.

This is an extremely young roster that could use a little bit of bite added to the lineup, and Marchment gives you that plus the skill. He struggled this season with the Seattle Kraken, but he really found his game with the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he played 39 games, recording 15 goals and 17 assists for 32 points.

Marchment is such a big body, standing at 6-foot-5, but isn’t an awful skater for a player of his stature. He can play in front of the net. He also excels in puck battles along the wall, which I think is a good quality to have if you want a guy who can play up and down the lineup, considering how the top-six in Chicago is built.

I truly do think he’d be a perfect fit for this Blackhawks team that has young skill guys throughout the whole roster. There’s a lack of balance when I look at the projected lines, with very little size and not many guys who can play the physical style we see during the playoffs.

Obviously, the Blackhawks actually need to get into the playoff race first before really worrying about that, but it’s also a big help during the regular season at times.

In terms of what they’d have to pay Marchment, I think we’re going to see a pretty high number with how weak free agency is going to be. Alex Tuch has already been paid by the Washington Capitals, which just pushes Marchment’s price up a little bit more.

He’s 31 years old, so I’m assuming you’re going to have to give him somewhere around four or five years, which will likely carry him to the end of his career. In terms of AAV, I think he may end up landing somewhere around $7 million.

I know it sounds rich, but with the weak free agent class and the salary cap skyrocketing, I don’t think it’s unlikely we see his deal land in that range.

Overall, I give Davidson full marks on this trade, but it does set the Blackhawks up to have to make another move on the forward corps.