Chicago Blackhawks Acquire Defenseman Robertson; Nordstrom to Hurricanes

The entire Chicago Blackhawks roster has been in rebuild mode since they won the Stanley Cup. They’ve traded away Brandon Saad, lost Patrick Sharp, and now they traded Kris Versteeg and Joakim Nordstrom to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Dennis Robertson, Jake Massie, and a fifth round pick in the 2017 draft were sent to the Blackhawks in return. Robertson, a defenseman, played the entire 2014-2015 season in the American Hockey with the Charlotte Checkers. The 24 year old picked up 17 points in 57 games last seaon.

Robertson had his college career with the Brown Bears where he picked up 70 points in his four NCAA seasons. He spent two of those seasons as the captain of the Ivy League team. He was sixth round draft selection by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2011 NHL entry draft.

Hockey’s Future had this to say about Robertson:

"Robertson attended his first NHL training camp and competed for the Hurricanes in the pre-season before being assigned to AHL affiliate Charlotte to start the 2014-15 season. Part of a crowded defense group with the Checkers and a frequent healthy scratch to start the year, he has contributed on the offensive scoresheet when he’s been able to break into the lineup but he must continue to develop his foot speed, agility, and positional skills if he is to play on a regular basis. If he can continue to develop he may compete for a lower pairing role for Carolina in the future. He is still a work in progress as far as being an NHL prospect at this point."

Massie is just 18 years old and he played last season with the Boston Jr Bruins U18 team where he scored 11 points in 14 games. He also played for Kimball Union Academy where he picked up 20 points in 34 games. The Quebec native had previously played in two seasons with John Rennie High. Massie was a sixth round selection by the Hurricanes in the 2015 NHL draft.

Going to the Hurricanes is Nordstrom, who became a major player with the Blackhawks last season after spending some time last year in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs. The Sweden native had 16 points with the IceHogs last season.