NHL notebook: Blackhawks trade Anisimov for Sens' Smith

[July 17, 2019]  The Chicago Blackhawks traded forward Artem Anisimov to the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday for forward Zack Smith.

Smith, 31, tallied nine goals and 19 assists in 70 games last season, posting the third-highest point total of his 11-year NHL career. He is signed for two more seasons at an annual average value of $3.25 million. Smith had spent his entire career with Ottawa since the Senators took him in the third round in the 2008 draft, tallying 94 goals and 99 assists in 612 games.

Anisimov, 31, had 15 goals and 22 assists in 78 games for the Blackhawks last season, his fourth in Chicago. He is also under contract for two more seasons, at an annual average of $4.55 million.

Anisimov has 163 goals and 184 assists in 703 career games with the New York Rangers (2008-12), Columbus Blue Jackets (2012-15) and Blackhawks. He topped 20 goals in three consecutive seasons before falling short last year.

--The Washington Capitals re-signed restricted free agent forward Jakub Vrana to a two-year, $6.7 million contract.

Vrana, 23, is coming off his best season, with career highs in goals (24) and assists (23). The left winger was third on the Capitals in goals.

Vrana has 40 goals and 40 assists in 176 games with the Washington over the past three seasons. The Capitals selected the Czech with the 13th overall pick in the 2014 draft.

--Veteran defenseman Michael Del Zotto, after a brief break to play for the Stanley Cup-winning St. Louis Blues, returned to the Anaheim Ducks by signing a one-year contract. Financial terms were not released.

Del Zotto, 29, spent a portion of the 2018-19 season with Anaheim, collecting three assists in 12 games before being sent to the Blues for a 2019 sixth-round pick in a trade-deadline deal on Feb. 25.

He played in seven regular-season games for St. Louis, collecting three assists in seven games, but did not participate in the playoffs.

Columbus Blue Jackets Artem Anisimov (42) races along the boards as Calgary Flames Derek Smith (27) tries to slow him down during the second period of their NHL hockey game in Columbus, Ohio March 22, 2013. REUTERS/Mike Munden

--The Minnesota Wild re-signed three players to contracts: Forward Ryan Donato inked a two-year, $3.8 million deal, while forward Nico Sturm and defenseman Carson Soucy agreed to one-year, two-way contracts. Sturm's contract will pay him $874,125 ($70,000 AHL) for the 2019-20 season, and Soucy will earn $750,000 ($125,000 AHL).

Donato, 23, amassed 16 points (four goals, 12 assists) for the Wild in 22 games after the team acquired him from the Boston Bruins on Feb. 20. He also tallied nine points (six goals, three assists) in 34 games for the Bruins last season.

Sturm, 24, made his NHL debut on April 4 against Boston after concluding his college career at Clarkson. In two games with Minnesota, he registered seven shots on goal. Soucy, 24, played in 66 games with the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League, scoring 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) last season.

--Forward Teddy Blueger re-signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins, agreeing to a two-year deal worth $1.5 million. The contract runs through the 2021-21 season.

In 28 games with Pittsburgh last season, Blueger, 24, scored 10 points (six goals, four assists) and had one game-winning goal.

Blueger, a native of Latvia, made his NHL debut on Jan. 30. The Penguins selected Blueger in the second round of the 2012 NHL Draft, and he joined the franchise after playing four years at Minnesota State.

--Field Level Media

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