Blackhawks trade Brandon Bollig to Flames for 3rd round pick

The Chicago Blackhawks have traded recently re-signed fourth-line forward Brandon Bollig to the Calgary Flames in exchange for the 83rd pick at the 2014 NHL Entry draft, the team announced Saturday.

Bollig was signed to a three-year contract extension in early March, on a deal that carries an averaged annual salary of $1.25 million. That cap-hit is likely the major motivation behind this deal from the Blackhawks perspective, especially since Chicago is up against the upper limit of the salary cap this summer.

The Blackhawks' 'cap crunch' situation was further exacerbated when it was announced on Friday that the upper limit of the salary cap for the 2014-15 season will be set at the lower than expected figure of $69 million.

For the Flames, Bollig is another enforcer who brings a tonne of - wait for it - truculence. He'll join a heavy lineup that already includes heavyweight Brian McGrattan.