Don’t be surprised if this Blackhawks addition becomes a total bust

The Chicago Blackhawks needed a lot of help if they planned on completely turning their luck around in 2025-26. Unfortunately for their fans, that didn't happen. But the moves they made weren't bad, like bringing in Andre Burakovsky and re-signing Ryan Donato.

That year, he had 13 goals and 24 points in 79 contests, the second-highest points total of his career. But in Chicago, he'll be a long way from that and will probably look like the four-goal, seven-point player he was with the Sabres.

It's one reason I completely gloss over Lafferty signing with the Hawks when I've written recent articles. His relevance is slim at best, and it wouldn't surprise me if he watched more than his fair share of matchups from the press box.

Ryan Donato and Andre Burakovsky are two different stories

Then, there's Ryan Donato, who looked like a borderline all-star last season with 62 points and 31 goals. Heck, if there was an All-Star weekend in 2025, Donato may've been a stronger choice than Connor Bedard, given his more consistent play.

While Donato may not enjoy a repeat performance, it's irrelevant. He's someone who's shown that he can be a fantastic role player in the Windy City. As for Andre Burakovsky, when he's up, he's more than up.

And it's why I was excited to see him come to the Hawks, despite recent struggles with the Seattle Kraken. Still, he's going to give you between 35 and 45 points that were hard to come by last season for the Blackhawks, and there's always a chance he reverts into something near the 61-point player he was in 2021-22.

One bust, and two average-to-above-average players make room for youngsters

What I like the most about this strategy is that general manager Kyle Davidson is letting the kids play a lot this season. Yeah, it might mean entering the Gavin McKenna sweepstakes, which also means yet another top-three pick in the near future.

But the burning question is this: Was anyone out there seriously going to help transform the Hawks this year? Not unless Davidson was cool with mortgaging promising future assets. So keep a veteran around, sign another, one with Stanley Cup-winning experience, mind you, and let the team grow one year better and with more chemistry than they had once upon a time.

As for Lafferty? Trade him to a contender in March and be done with it. He's nothing mroe than a hitter who may wow you with the occasional good season. But he can do that somewhere else when the time's right. Meanwhile, Donato and Burakovsky will help the Hawks grow.

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