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Lightning Send Eric Brewer to Anaheim, Receive Draft Pick in Return |
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Steve Yzerman and the Tampa Bay Lightning announced today that they have dealt Eric Brewer to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a third round draft pick in 2015. The pick, which originally belonged to the Edmonton Oilers, gives Yzerman, Al Murray, and the rest of the Tampa scouting crew yet another opportunity to add youth to the organization’s depth chart.
This move doesn't come as much of a surprise, as rumors had been swirling about the Lightning's desire to deal Brewer for a number of weeks. That Yzerman was finally able to pull the trigger on a deal that makes sense is great news for the team.
After joining the Lightning during the 2010-11 season, Brewer became a bit of a mainstay on the Lightning blue line. For a little while, he played top minutes. Over the last few years, however, his play dropped off substantially and he was relegated to a more minor role. With young players like Andrej Sustr and Mark Barberio ready for NHL action, the Lightning’s need for Brewer all but disappeared; he was a healthy scratch in four of the team’s last five games.
Most people will likely note and applaud the fact that Yzerman was able to get decent value for a depth defender like Brewer, but there’s a bigger win here. With Victor Hedman almost ready to come back, the team was going to have to make a roster move of some sort. Many speculated that Cedric Paquette or Vladislav Namestnikov would have to be sent down. With the Brewer deal today, every deserving young player can continue to be a member of the Lightning. Yzerman disposed of an asset with declining value and managed to keep young, developing ones in the fold. That’s the real victory here.
With all that said, I do want to thank Eric Brewer for everything he did in a Lightning jersey. Over parts of five seasons, he was a veteran voice in a very young room. He was a key cog during that 2011 cup run. He played his role well. Here’s hoping he enjoys his time with Anaheim!
As always, thanks for reading.
Ottawa Senators Blogger • 
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