At the end of the season, Scott Darling said "it's going to be a long couple months waiting" to see how his situation as a pending unrestricted free agent plays out.
He didn't have to wait nearly as long as expected.
It took exactly a week to iron out a long-term extension with the Carolina Hurricanes, who traded for the former Blackhawks goaltender's negotiating rights for a 2017 third-round pick on April 28 and signed him to a four-year, $16.6 million contract Friday.
And Darling is already looking forward to the next chapter.
"I was super excited when the trade happened," he said during a conference call with reporters Saturday.