Petr Mrázek got the outcome he likely wanted—a trade—even if he never explicitly stated it.
On Friday, the Chicago Blackhawks dealt the veteran goaltender along with forward Craig Smith to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for forward Joe Veleno.
Veleno, 25, was a first-round pick (No. 30) by the Red Wings in 2018. The 6-foot-1 forward, a left-handed shot, has recorded five goals and five assists in 56 games this season while playing a fourth-line role. A Montreal native, he ranks fifth on the Wings in hits (93) and faceoff attempts (288), winning 47.2% of his draws.
Mrázek and Smith were logical trade candidates ahead of Friday’s NHL trade deadline, particularly given the active market.
Mrázek, 33, signed a two-year contract extension in January 2024 but was phased out of the Blackhawks’ goaltending rotation after the team acquired Spencer Knight from the Florida Panthers on Saturday in a deal involving defenseman Seth Jones.
When asked Thursday if he wanted to be traded, Mrázek said it needed to “make sense.”
“It’s a discussion I had with (general manager) Kyle (Davidson) and my agent,” he said. “We don’t want to rush into any decisions. If something comes up that makes sense for Kyle and hopefully for me as well, then we might have a discussion.”
With Detroit making room for Mrázek—who joins Cam Talbot, 37, and Alex Lyon, 32, in their goaltending mix—he returns to the team that drafted him in 2010, where he spent most of six seasons.
Smith, 35, signed a one-year, $1 million contract with Chicago last summer as part of a veteran influx intended to help the team climb out of the league’s basement. However, with the Hawks sitting at 19-35-8—second-worst in the NHL—before Friday’s game against the Utah Hockey Club, that plan fell short, making Smith expendable for the rebuilding team.
Meanwhile, the trade deadline passed at 2 p.m. without the Hawks moving forward Ryan Donato, despite reports of strong interest from multiple teams. The 28-year-old is enjoying a career-best season with a team-high 23 goals, and his continued presence suggests the Hawks are working toward a contract extension. Donato is in the final year of a two-year, $2 million AAV deal signed in July 2023.
Teammates have praised Donato’s impact both on and off the ice.
“He’s been a stud this year,” Connor Bedard said Thursday. “Every game, he gives 110% and makes a difference. Me and him are pretty close, and his professionalism means a lot to our leadership group.”
Pat Maroon echoed that sentiment, saying Donato “works his butt off every single game.”
“He gives 110% and gets rewarded for it,” Maroon added. “A lot of guys should look at how he plays.”
Asked whether Donato’s three-game goal streak made him too tempting to keep, Maroon had a clear stance: “I’m going the other way with that. I think we should sign him. Don’t you think?”
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