Ducks fill goal-scoring void with Eaves: NHL trade roundup

The Anaheim Ducks acquired veteran forward Patrick Eaves from the Dallas Stars on Friday in exchange for a conditional draft pick.

Eaves has a career-high 21 goals and 16 assists in 59 games this season for the Stars. His 37 points also are already a career-high in his 12 NHL seasons, and he is fourth in the NHL with 11 power-play goals.

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Anaheim is in need of goal-scoring threats and veteran tenacity, particularly while Antoine Vermette is under a 10-game suspension.

"Your world gets put upside-down real quick, but I'm excited," Eaves said in a phone interview. "I want to get out there as soon as possible, and fortunately we've got an afternoon game [Saturday at Los Angeles], so I'll be ready for that."

Eaves, with 76 games of NHL playoff experience, fills several obvious needs in Anaheim: His 21 goals are more than every Anaheim player this season except Rickard Rakell, while his 37 points match Jakob Silfverberg for the fourth-most on the Ducks' roster. The Ducks' power play is in a 2-for-32 slump over the past month, and Eaves has been one of the NHL's most consistent producers with the man advantage.

Eaves is making $1 million US this season before he hits unrestricted free agency this summer, so the Ducks are renting a veteran forward in the midst of a career year. Anaheim is the sixth NHL franchise for Eaves, who has been in Dallas since 2014.

The Ducks gave up their rights to a 2017 second-round draft pick acquired in their trade of goalie Frederik Andersen to Toronto last summer. But the Stars said they will get Anaheim's first-round selection this summer instead if the Ducks reach the Western Conference finals and Eaves plays in 50 per cent or more of their games in the first two post-season rounds.

Blackhawks add depth in Jurco

The Chicago Blackhawks have acquired forward Tomas Jurco in a trade with Detroit, sendinga third-round pick in this year's draft to the Red Wings. Jurco, 24,has no points in 16 gamesthis season.

Jurco was selected by Detroit in the second round of the 2011 draft andhas 15 goals and 24 assists in 159 games over four seasons.