The Carolina Hurricanes have acquired the rights to goalie Scott Darling from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a 2017 third round draft pick, which originally belonged to the Ottawa Senators.

The 28-year-old Darling is a pending unrestricted free agent after serving as the Blackhawks' backup the past three seasons.

TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun notes that the third-round pick is not conditional, meaning Chicago will get it whether Darling signs with the Hurricanes or not. LeBrun adds that Darling's agent has not had any talks with Carolina as of yet.

Darling played 32 games for Chicago this season, finishing with a 18-5-5 record, 2.38 goals against average, and .924 save percentage.

"Scott had a very successful season in Chicago and was a big part of the Blackhawks finishing with the best record in the Western Conference," Hurricanes GM Ron Francis said in a team release. "He played a critical role on Chicago's 2015 championship team."