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Blue Jackets, Blackhawks complete 7-player trade

Chicago Blackhawks left wing Brandon Saad (20) breaks towards the goal with Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Deryk Engelland (5) in pursuit in the first period of the Pens 4-1 win at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh on March 30, 2014. UPI/Archie Carpenter
Chicago Blackhawks left wing Brandon Saad (20) breaks towards the goal with Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Deryk Engelland (5) in pursuit in the first period of the Pens 4-1 win at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh on March 30, 2014. UPI/Archie Carpenter | License Photo

The Columbus Blue Jackets and Chicago Blackhawks worked a multi-player deal on Tuesday, whose centerpiece is restricted free agent forward Brandon Saad.

Saad is coming off a second Stanley Cup victory with the Original Six franchise. He recorded 23 goals and 29 assists in all 82 regular-season games before contributing 11 points (8G, 3A) over 23 postseason contests.

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A native of Pittsburgh taken in the second round of the 2011 draft, Saad heads for Ohio's capital having posted 126 points in 208 career contests.

"We're very excited to bring Brandon Saad, a 22-year old two-time Stanley Cup champion with great size, speed, power and the ability to score goals, to our organization," said Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen. "He is a proven winner and exactly the kind of player we want as a Columbus Blue Jacket."

Columbus also acquired defenseman Michael Paliotta and forward Alex Broadhurst, while shipping forwards Artem Anisimov, Marko Dano, Jeremy Morin, Corey Tropp and a fourth-round pick in 2016 to Chicago.

Paliotta completed his collegiate career with the University of Vermont, compiling 83 points in 144 games over four seasons. He picked up an assist in his first NHL game for the Blackhawks on April 11 after leading the Catamounts with 36 points a year ago.

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Broadhurst, a 2011 draft choice, has collected 59 points over 104 games in two seasons for Rockford in the American Hockey League.

Anisimov capped his sixth full NHL season by striking for just seven goals and 20 assists over 52 games. He leaves Columbus having picked up 40 goals and 84 points over 168 games in three seasons. The 27-year-old Russian has one more year, with a cap hit of $3.283 million, left on his current contract before he becomes a UFA next July.

Dano, a 2013 late first-round selection, totaled 21 points over 35 games during his rookie campaign for the Blue Jackets.

Morin, who returns to the Blackhawks organization, tallied six points in 28 games last year.

Tropp, 25, has collected 27 points in 148 games for Buffalo and Columbus since 2011.

"It's fair to say we both tried hard to make it work. It just wasn't going to work in that scenario," Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman said of attempts to re-sign Saad. "He's a great young player, great young man."

[SportsNetwork.com]

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