TRADE: Scott Darling to Carolina Hurricanes

CHICAGO, IL -- Well, here it begins, my friends.

I'm genuinely very, very upset about this. Scott Darling is one of my favorite players, and after seeing him play a great game in December (with some Save of the Year-type saves, no less), I'm really going to miss him.

And, honestly, the Blackhawks got literally nothing for him--a third-round pick in this year's draft. I know Bowman is trying to get younger guys since the core is getting old, but... I don't know how much I trust this. And believe me, I hope I eat my words.

Darling's played a crazy good game this year, especially having to take over for a good chunk of the season after Corey Crawford had his appendix removed. He had a .924 SV% this season, which was amazing for the 32 games he played in. He won 18 of those starts, which is also a pretty good statistic for a back-up goalie.

Therein lies the problem, and the reason I knew he likely wouldn't stay.

Darling is too good to be a backup anymore. He's definitely made a name for himself in the NHL this season (his SV% this season was 6th in the league). I knew he would go to a team where he could be the starting goalie, but that doesn't make this sting any less.

Still, I wish the absolute best for Darling. He's become one of my favorite goaltenders in the league, and certainly one of my favorite players.

If anything else, I do love going to Hurricanes games, so at least I can still see him play.

So. Who's next?

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