Blackhawks Trade Scott Darling To Hurricanes For 3rd-Round Pick

(CBS) The Blackhawks have traded backup goalie Scott Darling to the Carolina Hurricanes for a third-round pick in this year's draft, the team announced Friday evening.

The 28-year-old Darling was 18-5-5 with a 2.38 goals against average and .924 save percentage this past season. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent, and it was unlikely the Blackhawks were going to retain him.

Darling was part of the 2015 Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks. Although he was the backup, he played a crucial role in the first-round series that season after starter Corey Crawford struggled for a time.

"We could count on Scott in any situation as he was always reliable," Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said in a statement. "We appreciate his contributions to the Blackhawks organization -- including a Stanley Cup championship team -- and we wish him well as he continues his career in Carolina."

Darling had a 39-17-9 record and 2.37 goals against average with a .923 save percentage in three seasons with the Blackhawks.

The pick the Blackhawks acquired was originally that of the Ottawa Senators, so it will fall in their draft slot.