The Chicago Blackhawks have been looking to get rid of Patrick Sharp to clear up salary cap space in recent weeks, and on Friday they finally did it as they shipped the winger to the Dallas Stars.

The deal also sends defensive prospect Stephen Johns to the Stars. In exchange, the Blackhawks will receive defenseman Trevor Daley and forward Ryan Garbutt.

The Stars broke the news via Periscope and their Twitter feed on Friday night:

The Blackhawks confirmed the news a few minutes later:

"On behalf of the entire organization I'd like to thank Patrick for all that he helped our franchise accomplish," Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman said in a statement on Friday. "He will forever be a Blackhawk, and we wish him and his family nothing but the best in Dallas and beyond."

Bowman wasn't the only member of the organization that bid farewell to Sharp on Friday, as Patrick Kane chimed in via his Twitter account:

The move trims $6.7 million away from the Blackhawks' payroll for next season. Daley currently makes $3.3 million per season for the next two years, while Garbutt's cap hit comes in at $1.8 million. The Stars do retain half of Garbutt's salary, meaning that the Blackhawks save a total of $2.5 million in cap space for next year.