Overview
- Ottawa traded a 2027 sixth-round pick to Chicago for Andre Burakovsky in a deal announced Friday and first reported by Frank Seravalli.
- Burakovsky enters the final year of a five-year, $27.5 million contract that carries a $5.5 million cap hit for 2026-27, and the Senators now project to have under $10 million in remaining cap space.
- In 75 games for the Blackhawks in 2025-26 he posted 11 goals and 22 assists for 33 points but his production collapsed after mid-January when he scored one goal and recorded four points in his final 34 games.
- Chicago received a draft asset instead of pursuing a buyout and removed Burakovsky's $5.5 million salary-cap charge from its ledger for next season.
- Burakovsky brings championship experience and past peak seasons with Colorado and Washington but carries a history of injuries and prolonged scoring slumps, so Ottawa’s gain could quickly become a liability if he does not regain form; watch his fitness and early-season scoring for signs of impact.