Both players had fallen out of favor with their organizations. Artem Anisimov was constantly being pushed down the lineup for younger talent and Zach Smith was placed on waivers by the Senators early last season.
Why Artem Anisimov Was Traded
Anisimov has been a player in the rumor mill since last offseason as he just didn’t fit the style the NHL was heading in.
His lack of top end speed and skating ability did him no favors. He was also not good enough at the faceoff dot.
However, Anisimov did provide the Blackhawks with a solid penalty killer and net-front presence on the second power play unit.