This Blackhawks forward needs to have a bounce-back year in 2026-27.
Last offseason, the Chicago Blackhawks acquired forward Andre Burakovsky from the Seattle Kraken in exchange for center Joe Veleno. Veleno ended up being quickly bought out by Seattle, though, and signed with the Montreal Canadiens in free agency.
Burakovsky's Blackhawks tenure started off in a strong fashion, as he recorded eight goals and 14 assists in his first 30 games with the Original Six club. However, he cooled off immensely down stretch, as he had just three goals and eight assists in his final 45 games.
With how Burakovsky finished off the season with the Blackhawks, there is no question that he will be looking to bounce back next season. That is the case whether he remains with the Blackhawks or ends up on a different team next season.
Burakovsky showed during the beginning of the season that he can still have the potential to provide some decent offensive production. If he can get back to that form and stay consistent, he could have himself a solid 2026-27 season.
Burakovsky is entering the final season of his five-year, $27.5 million contract and will be a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA). This also adds to the importance of him needing to have a good season, and it will be interesting to see what kind of campaign he has from here.