The Chicago Blackhawks pulled off a major surprise when they reacquired Kris Versteeg in a trade with the Florida Panthers earlier this month.
Trades that involve veteran players usually don't get made until much closer to the trade deadline, so making the move in the first quarter of the season was fairly shocking. But Versteeg is not just a forward who can score 20 goals. That's what he was for the Panthers, but he can be much more valuable for the Blackhawks.
Versteeg was acquired, along with forward Philippe Lefebvre, for young forward Jimmy Hayes and defenseman Dylan Olsen.
In addition to filling a spot at left wing on the third line next to center Andrew Shaw, Versteeg can play center or right wing if head coach Joel Quenneville wants him to. Jeremy Morin had been playing right wing with Versteeg and Shaw, but he was sent down to the Rockford Icehogs—Chicago's American Hockey League affiliate—on Nov. 26.
Versteeg's versatility is one of the most valuable aspects of this trade. He acts as insurance for rookie second-line center Brandon Pirri. If Pirri gets hurt or he does ...
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Article written by Steve Silverman
What Kris Versteeg Brings to the Chicago Blackhawks
November 26th, 2013 by Steve Silverman Leave a reply »
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