National Hockey League Trade: Blackhawks trade Kris Versteeg and Joakim Nordstrom to Hurricanes

The Chicago Blackhawks traded veteran forward Kris Versteeg to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday.

Just over an hour after they traded away Kris Versteeg to clear salary cap space, the Chicago Blackhawks signed center Marcus Kruger to a one-year contract. Massie, 18, was Carolina’s sixth-round selection in the 2015 draft.

The Fort Saint John, British Columbia, native previously tallied 70 points (17G, 53A) over four seasons at Brown University of the NCAA, including two seasons as team captain. In his first full season with the Checkers previous year, he scored three goals and added 17 assists in 57 games. He had five goals and 20 points last season for Kimball Union Academy, the New England prep small school champion, and six goals and 11 points in 14 games for the Boston Junior Bruins U-18 team.

Versteeg, 29, has appeared in 124 regular season games for the Blackhawks over the past two seasons, along with 27 postseason contests. The Lethbridge, Alberta, native has amassed 275 points (116G, 159A) in 473 career National Hockey League games with the Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers and Florida Panthers. Robertson made his professional debut with Charlotte against the Rockford IceHogs on April 19, 2014. Joakim is a solid, 200-foot player who can kill penalties. The deal even benefits Carolina if the team is not in the playoff hunt come the spring: Versteeg could be a valuable trade commodity for a team looking to add Stanley Cup experience.

The 23-year-old Nordstrom appeared in 38 games for the Hawks last season, managing three assists.

The addition of Nordstrom in the trade was hardly surprising; the 23 year old centre/wing will no longer be eligible for waiver exemption this season, meaning that the Blackhawks would have to either keep him in the AHL or expose him to waivers if ever recalled to the big club.