In return, Los Angeles is believed to be sending Russian prospect Valentin Zykov and a conditional fifth-round pick, according to Kings insider Jon Rosen.
Versteeg was held out of the Hurricanes' lineup for Sunday's 5-2 loss against the St. Louis Blues. The 32-year-old is a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Chicago Blackhawks, winning with them in 2010 and 2015.
He has 11 goals and 22 assists in 63 games this season.
Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos extended his league-best goal-scoring streak to six games on a penalty shot Sunday, fooling Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask with a move before sneaking the puck around his left pad for his 28th goal of the season, and giving his team a 4-1 second-period lead.
Stamkos can tie his career best for consecutive games with a goal (7) if he scores tomorrow night in Toronto.#TBLightning#TBLvsBOS
The 26-year-old was awarded the penalty shot after being hit from behind by Brad Marchand while breaking towards the net. It was Stamkos' third penalty shot of the season. He failed to score on his two earlier attempts.
It appeared Stamkos may have scored just two minutes before with a howitzer from the point, but the shot was tipped by Ryan Callahan for his second goal of the game.
CHICAGO - Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Dennis Rasmussen scored, and the new-look Chicago Blackhawks beat the NHL-leading Washington Capitals 3-2 on Sunday.
Corey Crawford made 28 saves as the Blackhawks won for only the third time in thei...
QUEBEC CITY, Que. - Dexter Weber broke a tie at 19:29 of the third period as the Charlottetown Islanders rallied past the Quebec Remparts 4-3 on Sunday afternoon in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action.
Bradley Kennedy tied the game with ...
The veteran defenseman lost his balance with nobody near him as he received a pass at the point. His slip opened the door for a two-on-zero between Ryan Callahan and Alex Killorn, which they executed to perfection for Callahan's ninth goal of the season.
While McQuaid reminded all hockey fans that ice is, indeed, slippery, one Twitter user discovered another possible cause for the blown tire.
After months of trade speculation, the New York Rangers won the Eric Staal sweepstakes Sunday, acquiring the star forward from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for two second-round picks and prospect Aleksi Saarela.
As the 31-year-old leaves brother Jordan in Raleigh to join brother Marc on Broadway, here are three reasons that Eric makes sense for the Blueshirts:
Offensive depth
With the addition of the eldest Staal, the Rangers' top-nine forwards look a whole lot scarier to any potential playoff opponents. Head coach Alain Vigneault will have a lot of options to consider once Rick Nash returns from injury, given Staal's ability to play center or wing.
Although he's on pace for his lowest-scoring season since his rookie year, if the trade "rejuvenates" Staal the way general manager Jeff Gorton hopes, it could spell danger for the rest of the Eastern Conference.
Potential lines
LW
C
RW
Staal
Stepan
Nash
Miller
Brassard
Zuccarello
Hayes
Lindberg
Kreider
Fast
Moore
Stalberg
A Staal-Stepan-Nash line would be a potential terror for opposing defenses and could also allow Chris Kreider to thrive in a third-line role while keeping the current Miller-Brassard-Zuccarello unit intact.
The final quarter of the regular season should see the Rangers use a number of different line configurations, which will give Vigneault more than enough time to sort out his deep, balanced attack.
Flexibility
As mentioned, Staal's ability to play the wing can allow the Rangers to keep Stepan and Brassard, both locked up through 2019, in their current top-six roles at center.
But another asset Staal brings to New York is a 53.7 faceoff percentage, which trails only Dominic Moore on the roster this season.
Player
FO%
Moore
55.8
Staal
53.7
Brassard
51.1
Lindberg
49.3
Stepan
46.6
Miller
41.5
Hayes
35.3
While he may spend the majority of his time on the wing, bringing in a man who has won the majority of his draws for five consecutive seasons is an important add for the Rangers: They rank 24th in the league at the faceoff dot, and dead last among teams in playoff position.
If Stepan's struggles in the circle continue, Staal could make a massive difference in late-game situations.
Win-now mode
As general manager Jeff Gorton alluded to Sunday, this trade is about today and not the future.
While it's uncertain whether their newest forward will stay at Madison Square Garden after this season, the Rangers already have four key forwards, three defensemen, and star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist locked up through at least 2018.
But after giving up a pair of first-rounders in 2014 for Martin St. Louis, the Rangers are without a selection in the opening round of the draft for the fourth consecutive year this June, casting doubt on how long their championship window can remain open.
Without a bevy of prospects to look forward to in the near future, the Rangers must remain competitive while Lundqvist continues to play a high level. Adding a productive veteran with a Cup ring to the dressing room has put them in a great position to make their second finals run in three years.
WINNIPEG - Derek Ryan scored twice on the power play in the third period as the Charlotte Checkers edged the Manitoba Moose 2-1 on Sunday in American Hockey League action.
Justin Shugg, Brock McGinn, Ryan Murphy and Trevor Carrick all tacked ...
After seven years of toiling in the AHL, Parenteau's first two full NHL seasons were his most productive, playing alongside center John Tavares. He scored 53 points in 2010-11 and posted a career-best 67 points in 2011-12, then signed as a free agent with the Colorado Avalanche the following offseason.
The winger has recorded 16 goals and 16 assists in 60 games with the Maple Leafs this season, and has already expressed his desire to re-sign in Toronto if he's moved prior to the deadline.
RALEIGH, N.C. - David Backes and Kyle Brodziak scored in the second period to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 5-2 victory over the short-handed Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday.
Ty Rattie, Robby Fabbri and Alex Pietrangelo also scored for St. Loui...
ST. PAUL, Minn. - Erik Haula scored midway through the third period to lead the Minnesota Wild to a 3-1 victory over the Florida Panthers on Sunday.
Charlie Coyle and Jason Pominville also scored for Minnesota, which ended a nine-game winless...