Tim Gleason traded from Hurricanes to Capitals for Hillen, 2015 draft pick

The Capitals acquired defenceman Tim Gleason from Carolina on Saturday in a move that could signal the end of pending unrestricted free agent Mike Green’s time on the Washington blue-line.

Gleason, 32, joins a Capitals team that holds down the first wild-card playoff spot in the NHL’s Eastern Conference with a 33-20-10 record.

The price for Washington general manager Brian MacLellan was fellow defenceman Jack Hillen and a 2015 fourth-round draft pick, now property of the Hurricanes.

Gleason, who began his NHL career in Los Angeles during the 2003-04 season, joins his fourth team. He had a goal and seven points in 55 games this season for the Hurricanes, but also a team-worst minus-18 rating.

In 710 NHL regular-season games, Gleason has 17 goals, 140 points and 690 penalty minutes. He also has five points in 18 playoff contests.

“Tim is a veteran, physical defenceman and we feel his experience, toughness and skill set further strengthens our blue-line,” MacLellan said in a statement released by the Capitals.

Gleason’s arrival could mean MacLellan is ready to deal Green, perhaps for a top-six forward, before Monday’s 3 p.m. ET trade deadline.

Green, who will make nearly $6.1 million US this season, would like to stay in Washington but the Capitals can’t afford him. Plus, they are strong on the back end (John Carlson, Brooks Orpik, Matt Niskanen, Karl Alzner) and could get a good return for a player they drafted 29th overall in 2004.

Carolina GM Ron Francis has 20 games to assess Hillen, who is making $700,000 in the final year of his contract, according to Spotrac.com.

Francis added the fourth-round pick allows him to “continue to accumulate assets for a deep draft this summer.” It’s Arizona’s selection that Washington acquired on March 4, 2014 when it traded forwards Martin Erat and John Mitchell to the Coyotes.

In his eighth NHL season, the 29-year-old Hillen has five assists in 35 games for Washington. In 301 regular-season games for the Capitals and New York Islanders, he has 71 points on 13 goals and 58 assists along with 157 penalty minutes.