Chicago Blackhawks 2025-26 Player Grades: Andre Burakovsky

46.6 Corsi For Percentage (at Even Strength) (CF%), 35 blocked shots, 18 hits, 30 takeaways, 61 giveaways, 16 penalty minutes

Contract Status: Contract runs through the 2026-27 season, $5.5 million cap hit

Season Overview

For Burakovsky, it was honestly the tale of two seasons. In the first half of the campaign, from Oct. 7 through Jan. 7 (a span of 38 games), the veteran compiled 10 goals and 19 assists for 29 points. He played primarily on the top line, put there specifically to help complement Connor Bedard. It worked too; Bedard registered 19 goals and 28 assists for 47 points up until he sustained a shoulder injury on Dec. 12. With 11 NHL seasons that included two Stanley Cup championships, Burakovsky appeared to possess the vision and play-making abilities to bring out the best in Bedard.

But then there was the second half of the season. In Burakovsky’s final 37 games, he registered one goal and three assists for just four points. Yep, four points and only one goal in 37 games. That doesn’t even seem possible! Head coach Jeff Blashill stubbornly kept Burakovsky on the top line despite his lack of production, citing that he was still getting plenty of chances. When the veteran finally broke through with a goal on Mar. 9 versus the Utah Mammoth, he brought that up as well.

There’s been a lot of times where maybe I could have walked away with more, and I think I just look at it, as long as I create, I’m feeling good about myself. That is took this long, I don’t want that, for sure. That sucked for sure. But there’s been a lot of games where I felt really good. Creating a lot of chances, setting up my linemates and teammates.

In the name of maintaining balance throughout the lineup, Blashill seemed to be at a bit of a loss on who to replace Burakovsky with. On Mar. 1 he addressed the situation,

We look a little bit at fit and stuff like that. Again, who’s the other guy that’s a better fit, or what makes sense for us? It’s easy to say you should experiment, but who’s the guy you’re experimenting with? Who’s that player that has the brain enough to kind of give and go with Connor? Playing with great players is not as easy as it always sounds. You have to, certainly with Connor, when he gives the puck to you, you got to have enough give-and-go in your game to make sure you get it back to him at the right spots.

Blashill finally replaced Burakovsky with Anton Frondell when the 18-year-old made his NHL debut on Mar. 24. After Frondell was then moved to second line center in just his fourth game, rookie Nick Lardis was given the top line spot next to Bedard. In nine games with this deployment, Lardis scored two goals that were assisted by Bedard. But he registered zero assists, and Bedard also had zero goals. The point here being that Lardis didn’t exactly complement Bedard the way Burakovsky did the first half of the season.  

Meanwhile, Burakovsky was moved to the third line and even made a healthy scratch on Apr. 6 versus the San Jose Sharks. It’s pretty amazing the veteran winger fell so hard and never rebounded. He has one more year on his contract ($5.5 million), but his performance over the second half of the season have led many to believe he’s a prime candidate to be bought out by the Blackhawks.

However, Burakovsky was an experienced veteran who helped mentor this young team, and he was well-liked in the locker room. Teammate Oliver Moore called him the party planner when it came to offseason get-togethers. Burakovsky did end his campaign on a bit of a high note, providing the secondary assist on a goal by Ryan Greene in the Blackhawks’ final game of the season (Apr. 15).

Will Burakovsky’s first half of the season be enough for the team to stick with him for the final year of his contract? Can the veteran find his game again and be a productive player that can contribute to the Blackhawks’ success?

Quotable Quote

Coach Blashill on Mar. 11, on Burakovsky finally scoring a goal:

I give Burky a lot of credit. As he’s gone through the scoring struggles he hasn’t brought the team down with him. He never really let that show on a day-to-day basis. Obviously it’s something that’s hard to handle. But he wasn’t around here moping, and he generally comes with a fun attitude.

Burakovsky’s Final Grade: D

It’s unfortunate Burakovsky faltered so much during the season and never bounced back. He could easily be a buyout candidate, or the Blackhawks could keep him in the fold for a potential resurgence next season. Lots of question marks surrounding this 31-year-old veteran and his future fit with the team.