Following that spring’s playoff run, it was revealed that Whitney had been playing through a chronic foot injury throughout the season that was the result of him being born with abnormally high arches. He underwent surgery in the off-season and didn’t make his 2008-09 debut until just before Christmas.

A couple of months later, the Penguins traded Whitney to the Anaheim Ducks for forwards Chris Kunitz and Eric Tangradi. This wound up being an important move for Pittsburgh as Kunitz and Sidney Crosby found chemistry and the Penguins beat the Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Final in the spring.

Whitney wound up getting traded again the following season. This time, he was dealt to the Oilers along with a sixth-round pick for Lubomir Visnovsky. The trade came shortly after Whitney suited up for the United States in the gold medal game against Canada at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

Whitney got off to a great start during his first full season with the Oilers in 2010-11. He scored 27 points over 35 games and logged 25:20 on average before injuring his foot during a game against the Buffalo Sabres in late December. It was later announced that Whitney would need to undergo surgery and that he wouldn’t return for the season.

Over the next two seasons, Whitney appeared in 85 games and scored 33 points. He wasn’t the same player after that injury and surgery and the Oilers opted to let him walk in free agency at the end of his contract following the 2012-13 season. Whitney played seven games with the Florida Panthers in 2013-14 and with HC Sochi in the KHL in 2014-15 before announcing his retirement.