Senators' Artem Anisimov: Traded to Ottawa

The Blackhawks traded Anisimov to the Senators in exchange for Zack Smith on Tuesday.

Both players involved in this deal are signed through 2020-21, but Anisimov carries a cap hit of $4.55 million on an annual basis, whereas Smith's cap hit is somewhat more reasonable at $3.25 million, so this appears to be a financially motivated move for Chicago, particularly when considering Anisimov has been significantly more productive than Smith over the past two seasons. The Russian pivot will likely slot into a middle-six role for the Senators in 2019-20, and should be able to put up 15-plus goals and at least 30 points for a fifth consecutive season.