Blackhawks trade Versteeg, Nordstrom to Hurricanes in 4-player deal

The Carolina Hurricanes have acquired forwards Kris Versteeg and Joakim Nordstrom, along with a third-round draft pick in 2017, from the Chicago Blackhawks for defensemen Dennis Robertson, Jake Massie, and a fifth-round draft pick in 2017.

Versteeg joins the Hurricanes after his second stint with the Blackhawks. The 29-year-old had 14 goals and 34 points in 61 games en route to his second Stanley Cup championship in Chicago.

"Kris is a skilled forward who has won a pair of Cups with the Blackhawks and can provide veteran leadership in our room," Hurricanes general manager Ron Francis said. "Joakim is a solid, 200-foot player who can kill penalties. This gives us more options up front for this season, while also now giving us 10 picks in the first three rounds over the next two drafts."

Nordstrom comes to Carolina after splitting last season between the Blackhawks and their American Hockey League affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. The 23-year-old tallied just three assists with the Blackhawks last year; he scored nine goals and 16 points in 23 games at Rockford.

The Blackhawks will welcome two young defensemen in Robertson and Massie, both of whom have yet to play a game in the NHL. Robertson scored three goals and 17 points in 57 games with the AHL's Charlotte Checkers last season. Massie was the Hurricanes' sixth-round pick in this year's draft.

By making this trade, Chicago now has roughly $2.4 million in cap space. The Blackhawks still have one unsigned restricted free agent remaining, in forward Marcus Kruger.