The Carolina Hurricanes have taken advantage of their ample cap space to add two former Stanley Cup Champions to their roster via a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks.
In the trade, Chicago sent former first round draft pick Teuvo Teravainen, along with Bryan Bickell, to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a 2nd round pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, as well as a 3rd round pick in 2017.
“I would like to thank both Bryan and Teuvo for their contributions to the Blackhawks organization,” General Manager Stan Bowman said in a statement. “Both players were drafted by our organization and developed to play important roles on Stanley Cup championship teams. We wish them the best as they continue their careers in Carolina.”
All things considered, it looks like the Hurricanes are getting the best part of this deal. The primary acquisition is a young and talented winger in Teravainen who has a year left on his entry level contract before becoming a restricted free agent. He performed well in his first full season with Chicago, scoring 13 goals and adding 22 assists, and still has loads of potential. He can be locked up long term for the right price by Carolina, and be a staple for their squad for years to come.
With Bickell, the Hurricanes are mainly absorbing a salary cap hit of $4 million. However, he is definitely a guy who can benefit from a change of scenery, and Carolina will do the trick. Given the right opportunity, Bickell could be an effective addition for the Hurricanes. In fact, he picked up 15 goals and 16 assists through 47 games last season with the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs. He’s just itching for another chance to prove he can play and be effective.
On the flip side, the Chicago Blackhawks dumped some salary short term and rid themselves of a long term contract coming up with Teravainen. The two draft picks they acquired may not amount to anything, but only time will tell. It will be a few years before we really see what they end up with.
As the Carolina Hurricanes continue with their rebuild, this trade looks like an excellent one that will benefit them for years to come.
