Chicago Blackhawks trade Teravainen, Bickell to Carolina for draft picks

Well, Bryan Bickell's obtrusive, salary-cap killing contract finally is off the Chicago Blackhawks' books. Problem is, it took trading 21-year-old forward Teuvo Teravainen to shed it.

The Hawks sent Bickell and Teravainen to Carolina on Wednesday and will receive a second-round pick in the 2016 NHL draft and a third-rounder next year in return.

"The fact that we were able to get into the second round of this draft was important for us," general manager Stan Bowman said. "And we add another pick to our draft stable for next year, when we're going to be hosting it."

Teravainen, a first-round pick (18th overall) in 2012, played in 78 games last season, scoring 13 goals and adding 22 assists. The versatile forward was asked to do a little bit of everything, and it was Bowman's hope that Teravainen would flourish once he settled into a regular role.

Now, though, that chance will come with the Hurricanes. Teravainen has one year remaining on his contract ($894,166 cap hit), then he will be a restricted free agent.

"You have to make those tough decisions as things go," Bowman said. "Certainly we have Nick Schmaltz coming along, and I think Nick's got some dynamic skills similar to Teuvo's in a lot of ways.

"But he's not entering the last year of his deal (like Teravainen is). He hasn't even signed yet. Whenever he does sign, he's going to have a three-year, entry-level deal. A lot of it is just the timing game with these guys."

Bickell, meanwhile, has been a disaster over the past two seasons. He managed just 14 goals in 80 games in 2014-15, then didn't score at all in 18 postseason games as the Hawks won their third Cup in six seasons.

Last season Bickell played in just 25 games for the Hawks while spending the majority of the season exiled in Rockford with the club's AHL affiliate.

"I still think I've still got at least a handful of good years left," he told me after an IceHogs-Wolves game late last season. "I had an opportunity to work my way up and play a handful of years with the Hawks. You can say those were pretty good years. I wouldn't want it any other way. It was a good run. …

"If it's somewhere else (that my career continues), maybe a fresh start would be nice."

Bickell, taken by the Hawks in the second round in 2004, finishes his Blackhawks career with 65 goals and 70 assists in 384 games. He also, of course, scored one of the biggest goals in Hawks history in 2013, tying Game 6 in Boston in the NHL Final. Seventeen seconds later, the Hawks had the lead and won the Cup.

The trade opens up about $5 million in cap space for the Hawks and increases the odds of re-signing Andrew Shaw to a long-term deal.

Shaw, a restricted free agent who made $2 million last season, is a 20-goal scorer who brings grit, tenacity and a win-at-all-costs attitude. It's a style beloved by teammates and coaches.

"Obviously we like what he brings to the table, and we'd like to try to make something work," Bowman said. "This (trade) is a step in the right direction. We certainly had to move Bickell to have some flexibility as we go into next season.

"There's still the unknown of where the salary cap is going to be, so it's really tough to predict what's going to happen over the next couple of weeks."

• Later Wednesday, the Blackhawks announced they came to terms with forward Richard Panik on a one-year deal. Panik, acquired for Jeremy Morin last season, scored 6 goals in 30 regular-season games with the Hawks.

• Follow John on Twitter @johndietzhdh.

Teravainen, Bickell by the numbers

Teuvo Teravain’s careerSalary: Signed through 2016-17 season with salary cap hit of $894,167. Becomes a restricted free agent for 2017-18 season.2013-14: 3 games, 0 goals, 0 assists, 0 plus-minus2014-15: 34 games, 4 goals, 5 assists, +4 plus-minus2015-16: 78 games, 13 goals, 22 assists, -2 plus-minusPostseason: 25 games, 4 goals, 7 assists, +3 plus-minus

Bryan Bickell’s careerSalary: Signed through 2016-17 season with salary cap hit of $4 million. Becomes unrestricted free agent for 2017-18 season.2006-07: 3 games, 2 goals, 9 assists, +1 plus-minus2007-08: 4 games, 0 goals, 0 assists, -1 plus-minus2009-10: 16 games, 3 goals, 1 assists, +4 plus-minus2010-11: 78 games, 17 goals, 20 assists, +6 plus-minus2011-12: 71 games, 9 goals, 15 assists, -3 plus-minus2012-13: 48 games, 9 goals, 14 assists, +12 plus-minus2013-14: 59 games, 11 goals, 4 assists, -6 plus-minus2014-15: 80 games, 14 goals, 14 assists, +5 plus-minus2015-16: 25 games, 0 goals, 2 assists, -5 plus-minusPostseason: 75 games, 20 goals, 19 assists, +21 plus-minusSource: NHL, Blackhawks, spotrac.com