Trade/Transfer

The Norfolk Admirals are reporting that the Tampa Bay Lightning have traded minor league defenseman Jay Leach to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for RW minor leaguer Brandon Segal and a 2008 7th round pick.

The first move of the deadline for the Tampa Bay Lightning has finally occurred. TSN is reporting the Lightning have traded winger Vaclav Prospal to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenseman Alexandre Picard and a 2nd or 3rd round pick in 2009.

Picard, a 22 year old 6'2" 220 lbs blueliner, has 8 goals and 38 points in 53 games with the Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL this season to go along with 31 penalty minutes and a -8 rating. Picard was an AHL All-Star this season who also had 4 scoreless games worth of action with the Flyers this season. Last year the defenseman played 62 games with the big club racking up 3 goals and 22 points to go along with 17 penalty minutes and a -24 rating.

According to Hockey Forecaster, Picard, "Has poise and maturity with and without the puck. Can be a factor in all three zones and already displays consistency in his overall play." However, they go on to say he, "Needs to do a better job of keeping opposing forwards honest with more physical play. May not put up big offensive totals in the NHL."

As we wait to see what the roster outcomes are to be, I must digress. It is not good (but necessary) to lose anybody, except maybe Prospal, Gratton, Boyle or Richards, maybe even Vinny. But what if we had changed coaches back in November, and were still in the hunt? Maybe brought the team together, appointed a captain, and rolled four lines conistently?

Erik Erlendsson writes that defenseman Kevin Quick, who was recently dismissed from Michigan of the CCHA, has had his name added to the roster of Des Moines of the USHL on the league's statistical website. Erlendsson goes on to write that the Lightning are unsure at this time whether or not Quick has indeed joined Des Moines.

Of Note: There has been no announcement from the Des Moines club, nor is Quick listed on Des Moines' roster on the team's official site. However, Pointstreak.com has the transaction of Quick being added to the Buccaneers listed on its player movement page.

Earlier this year Lightning prospect Luca Cunti was mistakenly listed on a Chicago Steel statistical report when he was still with St. Cloud State University. He would join Chicago a month later.

Again, nothing has been confirmed.

The Norfolk Admirals have announced that the Lightning have traded defenseman Dan Jancevski to Dallas in exchange for minor league right winger Junior Lessard. In addition, the Admirals have acquired center Paul Szczechura from the Stars' AHL affiliate, the Iowa Stars, for future considerations.

Lessard, a 27 year old 6'0" 200 lbs forward, has 10 goals and 21 points in 36 games this season with 15 penalty minutes. His career season came in 2005-2006 with Iowa of the AHL when he had 26 goals and 58 points in 66 games.

Szczechura, a 22 year old 5'11" 190 lbs center, has 2 goals and 5 points in 29 games this season. Last year, as an ATO after graduating from Western Michigan, he had 3 goals and 7 points in 14 games. In his senior season in college, Szczechura had 19 goals and 45 points in 37 games.

Norfolk has also announced that they have recalled right wing Marek Kvapil from Mississippi of the ECHL and reassigned left wing/defenseman Mike Egener to Mississippi. Egener has missed 33 games this season with injuries.