Canucks, Lightning make four-player trade

The Vancouver Canucks, parent club of the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, have acquired defenseman Shane O’Brien and forward Michel Ouellet from the Tampa Bay Lightning, parent club of the AHL’s Norfolk Admirals, in exchange for defenseman Lukas Krajicek and forward Juraj Simek.

Ouellet has been assigned to Manitoba and Simek to Norfolk by their respective NHL affiliates.

Ouellet, 26, appeared in 64 games last season with the Tampa Lightning where he collected 36 points (17-19-36) and 12 penalty minutes. In 187 career games in the NHL with Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh, the Rimouski, Quebec native has scored 116 points (52-64-116) and 98 penalty minutes.

Ouellet has also appeared in 182 games in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins where he scored 144 points (71-73-144) and 102 penalty minutes. He reached the 2004 Calder Cup Finals with the Penguins and participated in the 2005 AHL All-Star Classic. Ouellet was originally drafted by Pittsburgh in 2000.

Simek, 21, played in 66 games with the Moose in his rookie pro season last year where he scored 17 points (7-10-17) and 30 penalty minutes. He was originally drafted by Vancouver in 2006.

O’Brien, 25, played his first three professional seasons in the American Hockey League, capped off by a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals with Portland in 2006 in which he tallied 22 points (6-16-22) in 19 games.

Krajicek, 25, played 135 career AHL games for the San Antonio Rampage from 2003-05 and registered 42 points (7g, 35a).