Blackhawks Trade Leddy To Islanders For 3 Prospects
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Blackhawks have traded defenseman Nick Leddy to the New York Islanders for a trio of prospects, putting Chicago under the salary cap for the season.
The team announced Saturday it has traded Leddy and goalie Kent Simpson to the Islanders in exchange for defensemen Ville Pokka and T.J. Brennan and goalie Anders Nilsson.
Brennan and Pokka were sent directly to Rockford, while Nilsson will remain with Ak Bars of the KHL.
The Blackhawks needed to trim $2.2 million from their payroll before the season opener on Thursday, and Leddy carried a cap hit of $2.7 million this season. He's slated to be a restricted free agent at the end of the season.
Brennan, 25, appeared in 76 regular-season games with the AHL's Toronto Marlies last season, posting 25 goals and 47 assists. The 2014 Eddie Shore Award winner, given to the AHL's most outstanding defenseman, was also named to the 2013-14 AHL first all-star team, alongside Blackhawks prospect Adam Clendening. He has recorded 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 40 career NHL games with Buffalo and Florida, making his NHL debut on Nov. 23, 2011, with the Sabres. He was originally selected by Buffalo in the second round (31st overall) in the 2007 NHL Draft.
A Willingboro, N.J. native, Brennan has also recorded 199 points (76 goals, 123 assists) in 301 regular-season AHL games with the Marlies, Portland Pirates and Rochester Americans. Brennan also tallied two points (one goal, one assist) in a team-high five preseason games with the Islanders this year.
Pokka, 20, played in 54 games with Karpat in the SM-liiga in Finland last season, recording 27 points (six goals, 21 assists). He has appeared in 138 career games over four seasons with Karpat, tallying a total of 42 points. The defenseman was originally selected by the New York Islanders in the second round (34th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft.
The Torino, Finland native represented his home country at the World Junior Championship each of the past three years. Pokka led Finland to a 3-2 overtime victory over Sweden in the gold medal game at the 2014 World Junior Championship earlier this year.
Nilsson, 24, has posted a 4-1-2 record, 2.10 goals-against average and .928 save percentage in eight games with the KHL's Ak Bars this season. The Lulea, Sweden, native split the 2013-14 season between the New York Islanders and American Hockey League's Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
Nilsson posted an 8-7-2 record with a 3.11 GAA and .896 save percentage in 19 regular-season games with the Islanders. He collected a 12-4-2 mark, 2.81 GAA, .901 SV percentage and two shutouts in 29 regular-season games with Bridgeport.
Originally drafted in the third round (62nd overall) by the Islanders in the 2009 NHL Draft, Nilsson has a 9-9-2 record, 3.05 GAA, .898 save percentage and one shutout in 23 career NHL games across two seasons with New York (2011-12, 2013-14).
