The Florida Panthers, parent club of the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage, announced on Saturday that they have acquired defenseman Keith Seabrook from the Calgary Flames in exchange for defenseman Jordan Henry; center Angelo Esposito from the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for left wing Kenndal McArdle; and right wing Sergei Shirokov from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for left wing Michael Duco.
Seabrook, 22, played in 63 AHL games last season for the Abbotsford Heat and the Manitoba Moose, scoring five goals with 18 assists. For his career in the AHL, Seabrook has played in 141 games over two seasons, registering 15 goals and 36 assists for 51 points.
Seabrook is the younger brother of Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook.
The Delta, B.C., native was drafted by Washington Capitals in the second round (52nd overall) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.
Esposito, 22, was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round (20th overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. The Montreal native played in 57 games for the AHL’s Chicago Wolves last season — his first full professional campaign — scoring three goals with 10 assists for 13 points.
In 70 career AHL matches with Chicago, Esposito has recorded three goals and 14 assists.
Shirokov, 25, appeared in 76 games with the Manitoba Moose (AHL) last season, ranking first on the club in goals (22), assists (36) and points (58). He also appeared in two games with Vancouver in 2010-11, scoring his first career NHL goal.
A native of Moscow, Russia, Shirokov spent two seasons in the AHL with Manitoba, totaling 44 goals and 59 assists for 103 points in 152 games. He represented the Moose in the AHL All-Star Classic in both 2010 and 2011.
Shirokov was drafted by Vancouver in the sixth round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.
Henry, acquired by the Flames (parent club of the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat), spent the 2010-11 season with Minsk (KHL) after the 25-year-old defenseman three seasons with the AHL’s Rochester Americans. In 2009-10, Henry tallied 13 goals, 18 assists and a plus-22 rating for the Amerks.
McArdle, acquired by the Jets (parent club of the AHL’s St. John’s franchise), had 14 goals, 12 assists and 106 penalty minutes in 54 games with Rochester last season. A first-round draft pick (20th overall) by Florida in 2005, the 24-year-old McArdle spent four seasons with the Americans, recording 34 goals and 34 assists for 68 points in 166 AHL games. He also has one goal and two assists in 33 NHL games with the Panthers.
Duco, acquired by the Canucks (parent club of the AHL’s Chicago Wolves), led Rochester with 20 goals and added 11 assists for 31 points, to go with 126 PIM, in 67 AHL games in 2010-11. The 24-year-old Duco totaled 43 goals and 35 assists for 78 points along with 384 PIM in 194 games with the Americans from 2008-11, and was also scoreless in 12 NHL appearances with Florida.
