Ottawa Senators, Vancouver Canucks Swap Players

On Tuesday afternoon, the Ottawa Senators dealt defenseman Lawrence Nycholat to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for right-winger Ryan Shannon. Both men involved in the deal are undrafted free agents who are still battling their way to become full-time NHL players.

Although this was a minor deal, both sides are content with what they have gained.

The Senators have acquired a youngster in the 25-year-old Shannon who has the potential to be a second-liner in the future. At the moment, the quick winger would look to be in competition for a spot on the third and fourth lines when training camp rolls around later this month.

This move gives Ottawa added depth at forward.  Even if Shannon doesn't make the big club this season, his attributes would be greatly appreciated in Binghamton.  Over his collegiate career Shannon collected 150 points (51 goals, 99 assists) in four seasons at Boston College.

Shannon brings a lot of offensive upside. In 2005-06, he led the Portland Pirates in scoring, putting up 86 points in 71 games. He followed that up with a strong playoff performance that saw him tie for first in goals (11) and tie for second in points (22) for the Pirates.

He has been splitting time between the AHL and NHL for the last couple years. Don't expect anything different this year, as he has steady competition for a roster spot in Ottawa.

For Lawrence Nycholat this must come as a surprise. After tallying 49 points in 77 games with the Binghamton Senators last season, he looked to be a lock to compete for a job on the Sens' blue line this time around.

After the Senators lost Wade Redden, Andrej Meszaros, and Mike Commodore this summer, GM Bryan Murray made other plans. He signed Jason Smith and Brendan Bell, and traded for Filip Kuba and Alexandre Picard. Nycholat was expected to challenge for the sixth spot on the Sens defense, and also be counted on to add offense when needed.

His move to Vancouver is beneficial for the Canucks' defense corps. After witnessing a season that included Mattias Ohlund, Sami Salo, and Kevin Bieksa falling victim to the injury bug, GM Mike Gillis has brought in Rob Davison along with Nycholat to keep the blue line steady in the event of a mishap.

However, with Alex Edler, Willie Mitchell, Lukas Krajicek, and the three names above rounding out the Canucks' defense, it would be reasonable to assume that Nycholat will be spending the season in Manitoba—unless there in an injury on the big club.

But at the same time, there is a possibility of Nycholat taking the sixth spot away from Krajicek in training camp—if he can play steady on both sides of the puck.

At the end of the day, both the Senators and Canucks have added to their depth charts in the hopes of keeping both the parent and farm clubs competitive this season. Look for both players to enjoy strong camps, as they will have something to prove to their new mates later this month.