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The 2025 NHL Trade Deadline has been a wild affair and the action is beginning to come to a close. One team that many expected to be active is the Chicago Blackhawks. Chicago has remained relatively quiet on Friday afternoon. However, they have made a trade with the Detroit Red Wings involving Joe Veleno.
The Blackhawks are acquiring Veleno in a deal with the Red Wings, as first reported by Daily Faceoff insider Frank Seravalli. In exchange, Detroit receives two players, including a familiar face. The Red Wings acquire goalie Petr Mrazek and forward Craig Smith. Mrazek returns to the franchise where he started his career in 2012-13.
The Red Wings gave Veleno a two-year contract in the summer, but are moving on less than a year later. The 25-year-old showed a ton of promise at the junior level in the QMJHL. However, this promise did not translate to the NHL. Veleno currently has five goals and 10 points in 56 games, a drop from a 12-goal, 28-point performance in 2023-24.
Detroit's decision to re-acquire Mrazek is certainly an interesting one. The Red Wings have two NHL-caliber goalies on the roster right now. Alex Lyon and Cam Talbot have played well despite recent struggles. And Mrazek is not an upgrade over either player.
The addition of Smith could be interesting, however. The now-former Blackhawks forward has scored nine goals and 16 points in 40 games. The 35-year-old could provide a small offensive boost for Detroit's more defensively oriented bottom-six.
The Blackhawks have regressed in a major way during the 2024-25 campaign. Chicago is sitting near the bottom of the NHL and are likely going to pick within the top-five once again. This trade does not change that. However, adding Veleno gives them a younger option in the lineup. Perhaps Chicago can unlock the potential the Montreal, Quebec native showed during his junior hockey days.
