Bickell's camp 'relieved' to finally be traded out of Chicago
Bryan Bickell can't wait to get to Carolina.
Doomed by a deal never in accordance with his on-ice worth, Bickell was finally shed by the cap-strapped Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Related: Blackhawks trade Bickell, Teravainen to Hurricanes for 2 draft picks
Bickell will require a personal renaissance of sorts to recoup the fleeting form that ultimately put him in his previous bind, but he's encouraged to have a fresh start nonetheless.
"We are relieved that a trade was finally completed," Bickell's agent, Todd Diamond, told Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun Times shortly after the deal was announced.
"Bryan thoroughly enjoyed his time in Chicago, and we are appreciative of everything the organization has done for him, and for (Stan Bowman's) effort to get this done early in the offseason.
"Bryan is looking forward to the new challenge and a new beginning."
Bickell's inability to contribute in Chicago prompted Bowman to bury him in the minor leagues for the majority of his final year, if only to net a fractional amount of financial leash.
With only $45 million tied up in assets right now, the Hurricanes won't have to resort to the same with Bickell.