Trade/Transfer

TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning have acquired defenseman Brian Lee from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for defenseman Matt Gilroy today, Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman announced.

Lee, 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, has played in 167 career NHL games, all with the Senators. He has amassed five goals and 28 points after making his NHL debut during the 2007-08 season. In 2008-09 he ranked sixth among all rookie NHL defensemen in points with 13 and shots with 51. Lee also ranked ninth among rookie blue liners in average ice time with 18:53. He also played a career high of 53 games that season.

A native of Moorhead, Minnesota, Lee has played in 123 career AHL games with the Binghamton Senators, recording eight goals and 52 points. He played NCAA hockey for the North Dakota Fighting Sioux, playing in 82 games in two seasons. He was named to the WCHA all-rookie team in 2005-06. Lee also represented the United States at the World Junior Championships on two occasions.

Lee was drafted by the Senators in the first round, ninth overall, of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning have acquired defenseman Keith Aulie from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for forward Carter Ashton, Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman announced today.

Aulie, 6-foot-6, 217 pounds, has played in 17 games with the Maple Leafs this season, collecting two assists and 16 penalty minutes. He’s also skated in 23 games with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, recording one assist and 30 penalty minutes.

The Regina, Saskatchewan native has played in 57 career NHL games, recording two goals and four points to go along with 48 penalty minutes. Aulie scored his first career NHL goal last season on March 8 against the NY Islanders.

The 22 year-old has skated in 107 career AHL games with the Marlies and Abbotsford Heat, posting five goals and 16 points. He represented the Marlies at the 2011 AHL All-Star Classic in Hershey, PA last season.

He was originally selected by the Calgary Flames at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft in the fourth round, 116th overall.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have confirmed numerous reports that the Club has acquired well traveled and popular veteran defenseman Mike Commodore from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a conditional 2013 7th round pick.

The Lightning will be Commodore's 7th NHL team after signing a 1 year deal worth $1M with the Detroit Red Wings on July 1, 2011. Commodore's acquisition by the Lightning is likely in response to the injury sustained by Victor Hedman in Saturday's game against Pittsburgh. Commodore has played just 17 games for the Wings this season recording two assists in a depth role on Detroit's blueline. The 32 year old defenseman won a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 followed by a gold medal in the World Championships for Team Canada in 2007.

When asked this week if more trades could be on the Lightning's agenda, Lightning General Manager Steve Yzerman commented that the team was running out of bodies.

Yzerman took a step to rectify the issue on Thursday when he claimed high-energy winger Tim Wallace off waivers from the New York Islanders, reported TSN's Darren Dreger on Twitter.

A native of Alaska, Wallace has just three assists in 55 games played, but has fared well offensively in the AHL for Bridgeport. He can bring energy, physicality, and tenacity to a Lightning forward lineup that has lost Vincent Lecavalier (injury), Steve Downie (trade), and Dominic Moore (trade) in the last week. The move should allow Norfolk captain Mike Angelidis to return to the Admirals, though nothing has been announced.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have acquired a first-round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft as well as defenseman Sebastien Piche in a three-team trade Wednesday, Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman announced. The Lightning traded forward Steve Downie to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for defenseman Kyle Quincey. Tampa Bay then sent Quincey to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for their first-round pick and Piche.

The Lightning now have two first-round picks in 2012 along with a maximum of four and a minimum of three selections in the second round.

Piche (pictured), 6-foot, 202 pounds, has played in 42 career AHL games with the Grand Rapids Griffins, recording five points (0-5-5). This season he has played in 22 games, notching three assists. Piche signed with the Red Wings as a free agent on April 12, 2009.

Piche has been assigned to the Florida Everblades of the ECHL.

The Lightning also acquired forward Brendon Segal from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for forward Matt Fornataro on Wednesday. Fornataro was on an AHL contract with Norfolk.