Utah Hockey Club Makes Trade With Blackhawks Ahead of Matchup

Just ahead of tonights matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks, Utah HC has made a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Utah acquire a 2026 5th-round pick in exchange for Victor Söderström, Aku Räty and Shea Weber. 

None of the three players are currently on Utah's active roster, with Söderström playing for Brynäs IF in the Swedish Hockey League, Räty playing in the AHL, and Weber having retired at the end of the 2020-21 season before being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame last year.

The trade isn't a splashy move for either team but benefits both sides. Utah offloads Weber's contract to clear cap space while also acquiring future draft capital. With this move, Utah will have approximately $22 million in cap space this offseason to pursue additional talent.

Meanwhile, Chicago takes on Weber's contract to get a head start on reaching the cap floor for next season while also acquiring the rights to developing players. With the Blackhawks in the midst of a rebuild, moves like this benefit the team.

Utah HC has become the latest team to make a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks, joining the Florida Panthers and Detroit Red Wings.

The Panthers acquired defenseman Seth Jones from Chicago just days after he criticized the team's effort in a 2-1 loss to Utah. Florida also received a 2026 fourth-round pick from Chicago in exchange for a 2026 first-round pick and goaltender Spencer Knight.

Meanwhile, just hours before Utah's trade with Chicago, the Blackhawks sent goaltender Petr Mrazek and forward Craig Smith to the Red Wings in exchange for Joe Veleno.

The trade comes as the only move Utah HC made ahead of the deadline, instead choosing to focus on extending players like Karel Vejmelka, Alexander Kerfoot, Ian Cole and Olli Määttä.

Utah is set to face the Blackhawks Friday at 6:30 p.m. MST.