The Vancouver Canucks traded forward Jannik Hansen to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for winger Nikolay Goldobin and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2017.
If the Sharks end up winning the Stanley Cup this season, the fourth-round pick will become a 2017 first-round selection.
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The trade occurred while the Canucks were in the middle of their game against the Detroit Red Wings and the Sharks were playing the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Hansen was removed from the Canucks’ lineup prior to Tuesday’s game as a precaution. He has one year remaining on his contract, which comes with a $2.5-million cap hit.
“Jannik is a versatile, gritty player who plays with speed and is talented on both sides of the puck,” Doug Wilson GM Doug Wilson said in a press release. “We think he is a perfect fit for the style of our team, which has earned the right for us to make this move and add to our NHL roster as we push towards the playoffs.”
The Canucks and Sharks play one another Thursday in San Jose.
The 30-year-old has six goals and 13 points in 28 games this season but just one goal in the past 11 contests. Hansen had spent his entire NHL career with the Canucks after the team selected him 287th overall in the 2004 draft, totalling 105 goals, 130 assists in 565 career games.
“Jannik has been an important part of our team for over a decade and we would like to thank him, his wife Karen and their children for all they’ve done and wish them all the best in San Jose,” Canucks GM Jim Benning said in a press release. “While this was a difficult decision to make, this trade helps us with our goal of continuing to build a younger, skilled team for the future.”
Goldobin, a first-round pick of the Sharks in 2014, has been enjoying a successful season in the AHL. The 21-year-old Russian has 15 goals, 41 points in 46 games with the San Jose Barracuda.
“Nikolay is a gifted offensive player with good hands and good release on his shot,” Benning said. “His play away from the puck has improved this year in the American League and we believe with his skill set and continued development, he has the ability to become a valuable member of our team.”
The trade comes one day after the team sent Alexandre Burrows to the Ottawa Senators for Swedish prospect Jonathan Dahlen.
