The Toronto Maple Leafs, parent club of the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, have acquired forward Carter Ashton from the Tampa Bay Lightning, parent club of the AHL’s Norfolk Admirals, in exchange for Keith Aulie.
Aulie, 22, had one assist in 23 AHL games with the Marlies and two assists in 17 games for the Maple Leafs in 2011-12.
Originally selected by Calgary in the fourth round of the 2007 NHL draft, Aulie represented Toronto at the 2011 AHL All-Star Classic. He has totaled five goals and 11 assists for 16 points in 107 career AHL games with Toronto and Abbotsford, and 2-2-4 in 57 career NHL games with the Leafs.
Ashton, a 20-year-old rookie and son of former NHL forward Brent Ashton, has 19 goals and 16 assists for 35 points in 56 games with Norfolk this season. He was named the Reebok/AHL Rookie of the Month for October after posting 9-4-13 in 10 games to begin the year.
A Winnipeg native, Ashton was a first-round pick (29th overall) by Tampa Bay in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
