Blackhawks Deal Versteeg, Nordstrom To Carolina
On Friday, the Blackhawks finally made a cost-cutting trade.
Chicago sent forwards Kris Versteeg and Joakim Nordstrom with a third round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for defense prospects Dennis Robertson and Jake Massie and a fifth round pick in the 2017 Draft.
The deal clears roughly $2.4 million of cap space with which to sign restricted free agent center Marcus Kruger.
Massie, 18, was a sixth round pick by Carolina in this summer’s NHL Draft. He will play for Omaha in the USHL this season, and has committed to UMass-Amherst. A left-handed shot, he is listed at 6-2 and 180 pounds.
Robertson, 24, was originally a sixth round pick (173rd overall) in 2011 by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Also a left-handed shot, Robertson posted 17 points in 57 games with the Charlotte Checkers in the AHL last year.
“That’s just great, Anita!”
Don’t stop there. Kruger-in next, followed by Bickell-out?
I don’t know anything about Robertson or Massie, but it appears Bowman is filling-in on defense and keeping the organization young.
Tab… Other than this being a salary dump in order to sign Kruger, do either of these prospects have any upside?
Finally they cleared the space to sign Kruger and they moved the right guys. Good job Stan!!!!
Dennis Robertson played four years for Brown University in the ECAC and was the co-winner of the defensive defenseman of the year award his senior year. Turned 24 in May; he has one more year on his deal which he signed with the Hurricanes after he finished at Brown. Obviously ticketed for Rockford unless he’s used in another deal. Good size and plays with an edge so there’s that.
Massie is a flyer who I assume they talked to at the scouting combine in Buffalo before the draft. Probably liked him and planned to pick him in one of the last two rounds if he were available (a guess on my part).
The draft pick swap, eh. That’s no big deal to me, a 3rd for a 5th. This opens a tiny bit of room for the Hartman/Haggerty types.
a) Versteeg was going to have a hard time getting on the ice w/ the group of forwards in Chicago.
b) Nordstrom wasn’t making the team.
c) Morin still has to go.
d) Kruger is signed (see subsequent post on the site)
e) Bickell needs to go, too.
Bickell needs to go. But I don’t see anyone being a taker.
I feel like knowing the Hawks are under the cap crunch other teams are really going to try and fleece them in a deal involving Bickel.
Versteeg will be a top-6 forward and Nordy will potentially be the Canes number one penalty killer… the kid is relentless. Sad to see him go.
Bickell doesn’t need to go right away now that Kruger is signed. He can provide a showcase in training camp or better yet revitalize his career. Morin can go down or get released and that allows the Hawks to pick up the 7th defenseman.
Bickell’s value only goes up from here. Best case is he lives up to his contract and the Hawks get a physical presence. Or—best case he gets dumped and the Hawks can pick up a $3-4 million defenseman for the stretch run
Of the 2 coming back Massie has a higher ceiling and is only 18. Although these are the 9th and 12th best prospects in a crowded Canes farm system. Definitely not guys worth getting excited over. Very unlikely either ever make the team. Think hugh jessman in whatever trade the Hawks got him in.
Versteeg was going to have a hard time getting on the ice w/ the group of forwards in Chicago.
With Hossa, Shaw, and Garbutt as the only other RW alternatives I don’t see this. Bowmans willing to roll the dice on unprovens all through the forward lineup by the looks of things. Unless he’s perfectly willing to write this season off as a giant yawn of course.
Garbutt is a LW. Marko Dano’s best position is RW, they have Morin, Tropp still in the picture at RW for now and Kyle Baun, Hartman, and Ryan Haggerty are all NHL ready or pretty close to it. Plus Terevainen if he’s not playing center. Tikhonov is a wild card, they will probably move him around all over the place. Plenty of RW depth.
Thanks for pointing out the depth, Hof. Hossa & Dano would figure to be in the mix at RW on the top 3 lines, depending on how the 88 situation pans out. Quenneville has said he’d like to see Teravainen as a center, but he spent much of the playoffs as a wing. Depending on the center situation, Shaw and Tikhonov are also in play as potential RWs. Point being, before we get to Tropp and Morin the Hawks have plenty of options not named Versteeg at RW
The way I see it this was essentially a trade of Versteeg for Kruger. In other words, drop one to afford the other. Good deal. I’ve lost count now but the reigning SC Champs have lost a lot of players in the off season (more tHan 2010?). I hope that the new guys gel.
They reloaded with actual young talent though. Not journey men, has beens and never weres.
Sad to see Steeger go but the caproom was needed. He always had a great attitude. The year before was not a fair sampling of his ability because he was still recuperating from injuries. He was red hot on the Kane line last year before getting injured and when he was inserted at the end of the playoffs he played like a maniac… crashing into the net and on his feet ready to go on the next shift.
Great move, small move but maybe the smartest move yet, cap space and indeed LOAD UP ON DEFENSE MEN . . . good move. One of the two will click and we need live BODIES on D for that third line.
Simple and smart
Ya, sorry to see him go. Criticisisms of him were unfair due to injuries. He played a critical role in 2 of our cup wins and for that we are grateful. Still wouldn’t invite him to any wedding though! Best of luck to Kris and Nordy and Carolina.
Great comments from all of you. Let’s not forget that Bowman precipitated this cap crisis by being greedy with Sharp. At the draft and the start of free-agency, he was in position to get decent value for him, but his asking price was out of line (according to several major publications). A second-rounder or good prospect would sure look good right now. Instead, he makes a desperate Dallas trade, which still doesn’t solve the cap problem, and now this one. Meanwhile, Stephen Johns will likely make the Dallas team this season, and am reading that Paliotta may make Columbus this season.
kV showed up once every 5 games. He’s a floater who is on the downside of his career. No nostalgia here.