Center Adam Henrique, forward Joe Blandisi and a third-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft were acquired by the Anaheim Ducks in a trade with the New Jersey Devils on Thursday for defenseman Sami Vatanen and a conditional third-round draft pick.
Henrique, 27, has 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 24 games this season. He's second among Devils forwards with in average ice time at 18:15, including 2:54 per game on the penalty kill, also second among Devils forwards.
The Ducks are missing three centers because of injuries. Ryan Kesler has not played this season because of a hip injury; Ryan Getzlaf has missed 14 games because of facial injuries sustained Oct. 29, and could miss another month; and Rickard Rakell has been out the past three games because of an upper-body injury.
Anaheim next plays at the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday (7 p.m. ET; FS-O, PRIME, NHL.TV).
Taken by the Devils with a third-round pick (No. 82) in the 2008 NHL Draft, Henrique has 257 points (122 goals, 135 assists) in 455 games.
His biggest moments with the Devils came during the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He scored in double-overtime in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals to eliminate the Florida Panthers, and his overtime goal in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final eliminated the New York Rangers and put the Devils into the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2003.
Henrique is in the fifth season of a six-year contract with an average annual value of $4 million, according to CapFriendly.com, and can become an unrestricted free agent after the 2018-19 season. If the Ducks sign Henrique to a contract prior to making their third-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, that pick will be sent to the Devils. If the Ducks sign Henrique after using that selection, their third-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft will be sent to the Devils. If Henrique does not re-sign with the Ducks, no pick will be traded.
Blandisi, 23, has 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in 19 games with Binghamton, the Devils' American Hockey League affiliate. He had nine points (three goals, six assists) in 27 games with the Devils last season.
Vatanen, 26, has four points (one goal, three assists) and a minus-6 rating in 15 games this season, and was third on the Ducks in average ice time at 21:06 per game. He missed the first seven games of the season recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. He could make his Devils debut at the Colorado Avalanche on Friday (9 p.m. ET; ALT, MSG+ 2, NHL.TV).
"In acquiring Sami, we bring on a right shot, top-four defenseman who can play in all situations," Devils general manager Ray Shero said. "This move also gives us contract certainty on the back end for the next two-plus years. When acquiring a defenseman like Vatanen, you have to give back quality assets or players in return. That is the case in this situation with Adam and Joe. Adam has been a key member of our organization for nearly 10 years since he was drafted. His contributions both on and off the ice will always be appreciated by our organization and fans. For Joe, this is a great opportunity with a quality organization like Anaheim and I am happy for him."
Selected by the Ducks in the fourth round (No. 106) of the 2009 NHL Draft, Vatanen has 126 points (33 goals, 93 assists) in 280 games. He's in the second season of a four-year contract with an average annual value of $4.875 million, according to CapFriendly.com.
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