Carolina Hurricanes: Trade History with the Chicago Blackhawks

The Carolina Hurricanes and the Chicago Blackhawks have once again become trade partners this offseason in a huge trade that saw the loss of a staple Defenseman. We break down just how many times they have been trade partners.

On Monday, the Carolina Hurricanes sent defensemen Calvin De Haan and forward Aleksi Saarela to the Chicago Blackhawks for Goaltender Anton Forsberg and defensemen Gustav Forsling. The Hurricanes need a goalie on the roster and are trying to clear some cap room entering free agency.

If you are thinking “man, these two teams trade a lot” you are correct. If fact, these two franchises have now swapped players or picks a total of 11 times, which is the second most trades with one team for the Hurricanes (they have made 13 deals with the Philadelphia Flyers).

Looking back on trades years later is always fun, especially when draft picks or prospects are involved. Almost all trades make sense at the time, but what about down the road? Let’s revisit all of these other 10 trades and see how Carolina did.

Paul Coffey for Nelson Emerson

It was December of 1998 and Paul Coffey was a part of a horrible Blackhawk team that would go on to only get 70 points on their season. Carolina was leading the Southeast Division and looking for a veteran to add to the mix to help their playoff run.

And when you think of a veteran who has been there and done that, there are few better than Paul Coffey. Along with being a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, when the NHL released their list of the greatest 100 players of all time in 2017, Coffey made that list.

Coffey played the rest of the 98-99 season and playoffs averaging 19:41 of ice time. In the 99-2000 season, Coffey’s ice time went up to over 22 minutes a game. That Hurricane team, however, would not make the playoffs and he was sent to Boston where he finished his career.

Nelson Emerson was one of the Hartford leftovers that moved to Carolina with the team. Combined with his time in Connecticut and Greensboro, he played three and half seasons with the franchise. After being traded to Chicago, he played for Ottawa, Atlanta and the LA Kings before retiring in 2002.

Carolina easily wins this trade. Adding a player of Coffey’s name and stature – even if he was past his prime and for only about 100 games, added a lot of validity to this franchise. Throw in a playoff run and this trade still makes sense to this day.

4th Round Pick for Radim Vrbata

Radim Vrbata is a little bit of a Hurricanes’ enigma. Brought to the team in 2003 for Bates Battaglia, Vrbata really never accomplished much in a Hurricane uniform. However, his 2011-2012 season led many Carolina fans saying “didn’t we have that guy at one point?”

Dealt in December of 2005, Vrbata wasn’t fitting it with the rebuilt Hurricane roster full of fresh faces that would go on to win the Cup. Chicago took a chance and sent Carolina the fourth round pick, which they used to get Bobby Hughes. Hughes never played in the NHL.

Scoring 35 goals on Arizona’s top line during that 11-12 season, Vrbata finished tied for 11th in goals in the NHL. While he never did anything like that again, this season led so many fans of the Hurricanes – especially knowing that the team had issues scoring – looking back at this trade.

Give this one to the Blackhawks, even though Vrbata didn’t do much there either.

The Random 4th Round Pick

It was the winter of 2006 and as we all know, the Hurricanes were contending for the Stanley Cup, Looking to add some defensive depth, the Hurricanes sent Danny Richmond and a fourth round pick in the upcoming draft to Chicago for Anton Babchuk and a 4th round pick in the next years’ draft.

Danny Richmond never played more than 22 games in an NHL season, but has had a pretty decent career. He is still playing professionally, currently in his 15th pro year and now in the Dutch pro league.

At first glance, Carolina wins this trade by a mile. Babchuk wasn’t a piece in the 2006 championship team, but a few years later, Babchuk made his way onto an NHL roster. He is probably best known for his overtime goal in 2009 that clinched a playoff berth.

However, Chicago would not be done with this pick that they received from Carolina. They would package their own 4th round pick to move up into the third round of the 06 draft. They sent this pick to Toronto where The Leafs drafted future starting goaltender James Reimer.

Chicago didn’t benefit directly from this trade and Carolina got a cool memory off the stick of Babchuk. But when you see an NHL name pop up in something like this, it’s hard not to think what could have been for Carolina.

Two Cup Winners Sent Away

The late 2000s were a very frustrating time for the Hurricanes. Coming off a Cup, they missed the playoffs in 2007 and then entering the 07-08 season, were struggling. It was time to make some changes and boy did they.

In January, they sent Craig Adams for a conditional 7th round pick to Chicago. The condition of that pick was that if they did not resign Adams, Chicago kept the pick. Chicago later waived Adams and he was picked up by the Penguins where he won his second cup.

A little over a month afterward, a good old fashioned hockey swap – when its one player for another – occurred and involved two names that all Hurricane fans are aware of: Tuumo Ruutu and Andrew Ladd.

Ladd went on to win a cup in Chicago before signing with the Atlanta Thrashers. When the Thrashers moved to Winnipeg, Ladd stayed with them and became their captain. He then went back to Chicago for a playoff run and is now with the Islanders.

At the time of this deal, it made sense. Both players needed a fresh start – and that’s how this trade was billed. Ruutu had some success here; he scored 26 times in 2009 but then only had 4 points in the 16 game Eastern Conference Finals run that year.

Ruutu would later be traded to New Jersey where he finished he career. Carolina got Andrei Loktionov in return who played 20 games before leaving for the KHL.

Ladd clearly has been better than Ruutu and the Hawks used him as a piece to help win the Cup. They were basically given Craig Adams that same season. Chicago took Carolina to the cleaners both times in these deals.

The Dennis Robertson Revolving Door

You got to stick with this crazy story.

Prior to the start of the 2015-2016 season, Carolina was looking for a veteran. Chicago had veteran Kris Versteeg and what is the case with a lot of these trades, cap space was needed. Carolina took on Versteeg’s contract, a 3rd round pick and got an unexpected bonus in this deal, Joakim Nordstrom.

Versteeg did what he seems to also do during his time in Carolina – a 33 point campaign but provided grit, experience and was one of the mentors to a younger forward group. Nordstrom quietly became a defensive machine skating with Jordan Staal in crucial defensive situations and penalty kills.

Neither lasted long in Carolina – Versteeg eventually was sent at the deadline that year to the Kings for future AHL leading goal scorer Valentin Zykov and a 5th rounder and Nordstrom signed a free agent deal with the Bruins. Nordstrom is still in Boston and Versteeg is now in the Swedish league after brief stint in the KHL.

As part of that deal, Carolina shipped off Dennis Robertson, Jake Massie and a 5th round pick. And this is where things get really, well – weird.

Five months later, Chicago traded Dennis Robertson again. But to who? Carolina. Right back to where he came from. Robertson currently is with the Checkers and has never made it to the NHL. Carolina sent goaltender Drew MacIntyre back in part of that deal. MacIntyre has played in 6 NHL games.

So for those following at home, the deal basically was:

Versteeg, Nordstrom, and a 3rd round round pick for Jake Massie, a 5th round pick, Drew MacIntyre and a 5 month Dennis Robertston AHL rental. Even though my head hurts after all that, still pretty easy to realize Carolina takes this one.

Bickell and Teravainen for a 2nd Round Pick

Of the 11 trades between these two teams, this is the one that might have the longest impact on both teams. At the time on the surface, this made absolutely no sense. Bryan Bickell was a glue guy and a fan favorite and Teuvo Teravainen was young skilled forward on a restricted contract. But what this was about was Carolina taking on Bickell’s salary and getting rewarded with Teravainen for doing so.

The Hawks would use this cap space to sign Artemi Panarin to a two year $12 million extension later that season. Bickell started the year off great and was a leader in the locker room. However, he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis during this season and would be forced to retire.

Before his retirement, he suited up for one final game as the Hurricanes ended their season in Philadelphia. Used in the shootout, Bickell closed the season and his career in heroic fashion and provided an inspirational moment no one will ever forget.

A lot of times the prospect in these deals don’t pan out but that isn’t the case for the other piece from Chicago in Teravainen. He has asserted himself onto Carolina’s top line and nearly scored a point per game in his most recent season. Throw in 10 points in 15 playoff games afterward and the concerns of a prospect not meeting potential are gone.

So what happened to that random second round pick? Chicago used it to draft Alex DeBrincat. What has he done? How about a 40 goal campaign this past year? This trade edge goes to Chicago – especially when you consider the cap they created and who they signed- but it’s safe to say neither team is complaining.

Scott Darling for a 3rd Round Pick

Perhaps the most infamous deal involving these two teams for the Hurricanes is the one that brought Scott Darling to Raleigh. To use the term “failed experiment” doesn’t quite describe the situation that is leading to his pending buy out of his deal that he signed just a few weeks after this April 28, 2017 trade.

At the time, this trade made a lot of sense. Cam Ward was ready to be a veteran back up and Chicago didn’t have the need to keep an expensive backup behind Corey Crawford. These two teams got together and worked out a deal that everyone was ecstatic about.

Chicago drafted Evan Barrartt, who is still at Penn State. Even if he never plays a minute for Chicago, this deal goes to Chicago. Credit goes to the Blackhawks for letting go of what their fans thought was the clear future in the net.

Question for Readers: What deal between these two franchises do you love and hate the most?