DALLAS -- The Penguins eased the logjam on their blue line Friday afternoon -- and opened a spot on the roster in the process -- by trading defenseman Erik Gudbranson to the Ducks for left winger Andreas Martinsen and a seventh-round draft choice in 2021.
Martinsen, 29, will report to the Penguins' AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre. He is signed through this season, with a salary of $750,000 when he plays in the NHL.
Gudbranson's departure opens a bit of salary-cap space for the Penguins. He is being paid $4 million this season and in 2020-21. It also clears a spot on the 23-man roster for Bryan Rust or Nick Bjugstad, both of whom are expected to return to the lineup for the game against the Stars Saturday at 8:08 p.m.
Gudbranson's physicality was his primary value to the Penguins. He played mostly on the No. 3 pairing after being acquired from the Canucks last season. He had no points and four penalty minutes in seven games this season, when he was logging an average of 15 minutes, nine seconds per game of ice time.
He worked alongside Marcus Pettersson during the Penguins' practice at the American Airlines Center earlier Friday. Juuso Riikola or Chad Ruhwedel presumably will be Pettersson's partner when they face the Stars.
Martinsen is 6-foot-2, 225 pounds and appeared in one game with the Ducks' AHL affiliate in San Diego this season. He broke into the NHL with Colorado as an undrafted free agent in 2015 and has appeared in 152 NHL games with the Avalanche, Canadiens and Blackhawks. During that time, he has nine goals, 14 assists and 110 penalty minutes.
Martinsen was the eighth Norwegian player to reach the NHL when he signed with the Avalanche, and had his most productive season as a rookie, putting up four goals and seven assists in 55 games. He had 16 goals and 25 assists in 113 career games in the AHL. He has played there with the San Antonio Rampage, Rockford IceHogs and San Diego Gulls.
