Penguins trade Gudbranson to Ducks

The Pittsburgh Penguins traded defenseman Erik Gudbranson to the Anaheim Ducks on Friday in exchange for forward Andreas Martinsen and a seventh-round pick in 2021, the team announced.

Gudbranson has now been traded three times since the spring of 2016 when he was dealt from the Florida Panthers to Vancouver. After spending parts of three seasons with the Canucks, the 27-year-old was shipped to the Pens at last year's trade deadline.

He's amassed 64 points in 474 regular-season games since the Panthers drafted him third overall in 2010.

The deal gives the Penguins some much-needed cap flexibility. Gudbranson carries a $4-million cap hit through next season, while Martinsen earns $750,000 and is a free agent after this year.

Anaheim, meanwhile, gains some experience on the right side of its blue line. The Ducks have been unable to fill the void after they traded Sami Vatanen to the New Jersey Devils in 2017-18 and dealt Brandon Montour to the Buffalo Sabres last season. Their top right-handed defenseman, Josh Manson, suffered an upper-body injury Thursday and will miss at least two games.

Martinsen has registered 23 points in 152 career NHL contests split between the Colorado Avalanche, Montreal Canadiens, and Chicago Blackhawks.