It is the day of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, and the signing and trade news has been popping off, and the Ottawa Senators are fully in the mix. Following the Samuel Ersson acquisition from the Toronto Maple Leafs, it had us asking ourselves, well, what on earth would a sixth-round draft pick be worth?. Apparently, we have our answer. This news is of the Andre Burakovsky trade from the Chicago Blackhawks to the Sens, for that aforementioned sixth-rounder in 2027. Let’s discuss the deal for the two teams.
Credit Image: © Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times/TNS via ZUMA Press Wire
Andre Burakovsky Trade from Hawks to Sens for 6th Rounder
The Sens did have a plan and then they quickly shifted, and their new plan has been full of action. For hockey fans, this is what you want. It would raise the question if the Sens are any better today, than they were at the end of 2025-26. There will be a topic of discussion on the true wins-above replacement ideology, given the Sens hot stretch to end the 2025-26 regular season, but we will save that for another day. Of course, we are referring to the Brady Tkachuk and the fact the Sens have been reactive, but it seems they are acting on a plan. That is a good thing if you are a Sens fan.
#Blackhawks are trading Andre Burakovsky to #GoSensGo for a 2027 6th Round Pick.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) June 26, 2026
The Andre Burakovsky trade comes as he has one year remaining of a $5.5 million average annual value contract. He has two Stanley Cup Championships to his credit, Washington (2018) and Colorado (2022). The Austrian-born Swede, can be tough to get the puck from. He has solid speed, size, and you know he has dangles for day.
However, it seems that he needs the right fit. If he was a heavily-relied upon player in Chicago, maybe being under the radar a bit in Ottawa will get him back to his better seasons. In 2021-22, with the Colorado Avalanche, he had 22 goals, 39 assists, for 61 points. It was the third-highest average ice time of his career at 16:16.
Last year in Chicago, he struggled more so. In 75 games, he had 11 goals, 22 assists, for 33 points. He had the second most ice time of his career at 16:25. It will be interesting to see the Sens plan for Burakovsky and how he fits into head coach Travis Green’s lineup.
Main Photo Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
