Gophers defenseman and Minnesota Wild first-round draft pick Nick Leddy has been traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in a move announced just before the National Hockey League’s trade freeze.

Leddy was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the first-round of last years draft, but has struggled in his first year as a Gopher. The Eden Prarie native missed nine games earlier this year with a broken jaw, and heads into this weekends series with five points on the season coming by way of four assists and one goal.

Leddy was traded along with current Wild defenseman Kim Johnsson for Blackhawks defenseman Cam Barker. Barker was taken with the third overall pick by Chicago in the 2004 draft, but after scoring 40 points a season ago has struggled to match that total this year, accumulating 14 points on the season thus far.

Leddy becomes the second Gophers first-round draft pick to get traded in less than a year. Forward Patrick White was traded from the Vancouver Canucks to the San Jose Sharks this past summer.