The Chicago Blackhawks have traded forward Craig Smith and goaltender Petr Mrázek to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for forward Joe Veleno. The clubs have already finalized and announced the trade.
Smith, 35, slotted in on the Blackhawks’ fourth line after signing a one-year deal worth $1 million with Chicago in the offseason. The aged veteran still found decent production for a fourth-liner on the league’s second-worst team, scoring nine goals in 40 games.
The long-time Nashville Predator missed a chunk of time earlier in the season when a nagging back injury landed him on the injured reserve.
Mrázek, 33, became the de facto odd-man-out when Chicago dealt Seth Jones for former first-round netminder Spencer Knight and a conditional 2026 first-round pick last weekend. In the Blackhawks’ two games since the trade, Arvid Soderbloom backed up Knight and vice versa, leaving Mrázek as a healthy scratch.
Finding a trade partner for the goaltender felt like a looming challenge, pairing the contract he signed to stay in Chicago last offseason with his performance this year. Mrázek signed a two-year deal worth $8.5 million ($4.25 million annually) this past summer after a strong 2023-24 campaign. But his work had slipped this season, posting a .890 saves-percentage and allowing 3.46 goals against in 33 games.
When asked if he’d like to be moved before the trade deadline, Mrázaek told reporters after practice yesterday: “You don’t want to just jump into something quickly or something that might not make sense.”
Mrázek should feel some comfortability, having spent the first five full seasons of his career in Detroit before being traded to Philadelphia during his sixth. He returns to an unrecognizable Red Wings team, but one within striking distance of a spot in the wild card. Detroit currently sits one point behind the Ottawa Senators and New York Rangers for the East’s No. 8 seed.
Veleno, 25, has played in just 288 NHL games since making his debut four years ago and figures to replace Smith on the fourth line. Drafted in the first round by Detroit in 2018, Veleno put up career highs in goals and assists last season, tallying 12 goals and 28 points total.
Most importantly, the move alleviates some space in a cramped goalies’ room for Chicago and takes Mrázek’s $4.25 million off the books for 2025-26, adding Veleno’s $2.275 million instead. Chicago is projected to have upwards of $40 million in cap space this upcoming offseason.
Chicago will also acquire 24-year-old defenseman Victor Söderström, 23-year-old forward Aku Räty, and pseudo-retired defenseman Shea Weber from the Utah Hockey Club for a 2026 sixth-round pick.
The move essentially gives the Blackhawks security above the cap floor, as Weber, who hasn’t played since 2021 and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame last year, carries a $7.86 million cap hit through next season.
*updated at 2:30 p.m. to include Chicago-Utah trade
