Carolina Hurricanes acquire Sami Vatanen, Brady Skjei

The Carolina Hurricanes added a pair of defencemen Monday acquiring Sami Vatanen and Brady Skjei.

The Hurricanes got Skjei from the New York Rangers, giving up a 2020 first-round pick.

In the Vatanen trade, the New Jersey Devils acquired prospect Janne Kuokkanen and Carolina’s second-round draft pick.

Skjei, 25, was drafted by the Rangers in the first round of the 2012 draft and has played his full 307 game career with the club scoring 112 points. This year, he has eight goals and 15 assists in 60 games.

He has four years left on a contract that pays him $5.250-million.

Vatanen, meanwhile, has played in 47 games with the Devils this year scoring five goals and 18 assists. He is a UFA at season’s end.

Kuokkanen was drafted by the Canes in the second round of 2016 draft. The forward has played the last three seasons with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers scoring 35 goals and 85 assists in 160 games.

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