OTTAWA — The Ottawa Senators traded forward Zack Smith to the Chicago Blackhawks for centre Artem Anisimov on Tuesday.
Smith, 31, had been the current longest-serving member of the Senators after being drafted 79th overall in the 2008 NHL draft.
The native of Maple Creek, Sask., scored 94 goals and 193 points in 612 career regular-season games with Ottawa.
Smith, who was placed on waivers last September only to go unclaimed by the league’s other 30 teams, added nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 45 playoff contests. He registered nine goals and 28 points for the rebuilding Senators in 2018-19.
Anisimov, also 31, scored 15 goals and 37 points in 78 games with Chicago last season. In 703 career outings with the Blackhawks, New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets, the native of Yaroslavl, Russia, has put up 163 goals and 347 points.
The 54th pick in the 2006 draft by the Rangers added eight goals and nine assists in 43 career NHL playoff games.
The move for Anisimov inches the Senators closer to the NHL’s salary cap floor.
Smith has two years left on his contract that carries an annual average value of US$3.25 million, while Anisimov’s current deal also runs through 2020-21 with an AAV of $4.55 million, according to capfriendly.com.
Anisimov immediately becomes the second-highest paid for forward on Ottawa’s active roster behind Bobby Ryan and his $7.25-million cap hit.
The Canadian Press
