The Blackhawks haven’t exactly lit the league on fire this year, but there have been some positive signs from the roster that we shouldn’t ignore as we spend another spring focusing on the junior and college ranks before the NHL Draft Lottery.
We’ve been hoping to see the Blackhawks make more hockey trades in recent years as the rebuild process transitions from hoarding draft capital to building out an NHL roster. Starting last July before free agency, the Blackhawks have started to do that, and they’ve done a pretty good job with the trades they have made to add players to the NHL and AHL ranks.
So let’s take a look at the five trades the Blackhawks have made since last summer and grade them. For this exercise, I’m going to include both the trade the Blackhawks made during the summer of 2024 and the in-season acquisitions by the front office. This does not reflect picks that exclusively involved draft picks.
Ilya Mikheyev and a second-round pick in 2027 from Vancouver for a fourth-round pick in 2027
This trade has easily been the most impactful for the Blackhawks during this season and will likely pay dividends into the future. Mikheyev has found his offensive game again with the Blackhawks; his 16 goals are the most he’s scored in the NHL since posting 21 for Toronto during the 2021-22 season. He has two short-handed goals and two game-winning goals in the mix as well.
Mikheyev possesses elite speed and has been an exceptional defensive player for the Blackhawks as well. He’s been a key part of the penalty kill unit and has moved all over the lineup this year. He’s the only player on the roster with an even plus-minus. Interim coach Anders Sorensen has said he makes the guys on his line better every night. Moving up two rounds in the 2027 NHL Draft to take his money off the Canucks’ books makes this trade look like an absolute steal by the Blackhawks.
Grade: A+
Spencer Knight and a 2026 first-round pick from Florida for Seth Jones (retained $2.5 million) and a fourth-round pick in 2026
Grading this is pretty easy. The Blackhawks moved out a player who wasn’t happy with this situation and was becoming an increasing distraction in the room. The retained money isn’t going to be a massive problem for the Blackhawks in the coming years as the salary cap goes up quickly.
Chicago received a 23-year-old No. 1 goaltender and a first-round pick for Jones, who has been as pedestrian for the Panthers as he was for the Blackhawks. This is a resounding win.
Grade: A+
Joe Veleno from Detroit for Petr Mrázek and Craig Smith
In the wake of acquiring Knight, the Blackhawks had (still have) some goalie depth questions to answer. The first came with Mrázek heading back to where his career started in Detroit. The Blackhawks threw in Smith, who signed a one-year deal and dealt with injuries for much of the season with the Hawks.
Veleno, 25, has been a solid addition thus far. He recorded his first two points with the Blackhawks in Sunday’s win and has won 53.1 percent of his faceoffs thru seven games. He has also been effective killing penalties. Veleno has one more year of control and will likely be a nice placeholder for the centers who are expected to be coming in Chicago in the coming year(s). He was originally a first-round pick (No. 30 overall) by Detroit in the 2018 NHL Draft.
Grade: B+
Dmitry Kuzmin from Winnipeg for Isaak Phillips
This was a change-of-scenery trade for Phillips and Kuzmin that, selfishly, helped the Blackhawks by bringing in a player who was friendly with Artyom Levshunov. Kuzmin has one additional year of control and will provide depth on the left side of the blue line in Rockford next season with the expected promotions.
Grade: B
Aku Räty, Victor Söderström and Shea Weber’s contract from Utah for a fifth-round pick in 2026
The headline on this trade was the Blackhawks adding Weber’s contract to help them get to the floor next year without having to spend a ridiculous amount of money (especially with Jones’ contract off the books). But the Blackhawks added a couple intriguing young players who might actually have some upside for the future.
Räty, who turns 25 in July, is an RFA this summer. He scored 15 goals in 55 games for Tuscon in the AHL last year and could, again, be seen as a potential depth piece for the IceHogs. He has two points in his first six appearance for Rockford this season.
Söderström, 24, is a fascinating right-handed defenseman who can move the puck and skate. He has 37 points in 49 games for Brynäs in Sweden this season after scoring nine goals with 23 assists in 62 games for Tuscon last year. He was the 11th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. It will be interesting to see if the Blackhawks make an effort to bring him back over the pond at some point.
