The New York Rangers have agreed to trade defenceman Brady Skjei to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a first-round pick. Full details to follow.

Key Player – Brady Skjei

In Skjei, the Hurricanes get a young puck-moving defenceman that can chip in on the offensive side of things. This season, he scored eight goals and 15 assists for 23 points in 60 games, adding 41 minutes in penalties. His possession numbers are 46.3 percent Corsi and a relative Corsi of -0.8. Those totals are about the same compared to last season, where he scored eight goals, 17 assists for 25 points.

Over his five-year NHL career, Skjei has played just for the New York Rangers. In that time, he has 25 goals and 87 assists for 112 career points in 307 career games. The Rangers originally drafted him in the first round, 28th overall of the 2012 NHL Draft.

Skjei is a native of Lakeville, Minn. and played three seasons with the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers in the NCAA ranks.

With Brett Pesce and Dougie Hamilton injured, the Hurricanes bolster their defence corps. They also added Sami Vatanen earlier in the day.

What This Means for the Future

The Rangers made the move in order to free up some salary cap space after the team re-signed Chris Kreider. It seems that Skjei is a victim of the numbers game that sees his high cap number go out the door. He is in the second year of a six-year contract that sees him make $5.25 million per season. General manager Jeff Gorton had to cut corners and Skjei was dealt.

Skjei is a slick-skater that play offence for his new team. He will be an asset in multiple phases of the game. He is a solid pickup for the Hurricanes.



NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 05: Brady Skjei #76 of the New York Rangers complains about a third period penalty during the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Madison Square Garden on April 05, 2019 in New York City. The Blue Jackets defeated the Rangers 3-2 in the shoot-out to gain a playoff position. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)