Nashville Predators president of hockey operations/general manager David Poile announced today that the club has sent captain Jason Arnott to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for forward Matt Halischuk and New Jersey’s second-round selection in the 2011 Entry Draft.
Halischuk, 22 (6/1/88), split the 2009-10 season between New Jersey and Lowell (AHL), posting a pair of points (1g-1a) in 20 NHL games and 22 points (11g-11a) in 32 AHL contests.
In his rookie professional season of 2008-09 the Toronto, Ont., native amassed 29 points (14g-15a) in 47 games for Lowell, and also made his NHL debut with the Devils, notching one assist.
A 5-11, 172-pound right wing, Halischuk scored the game-winning goal at 3:36 of overtime in the Gold Medal Game of the 2008 World Junior Championships, lifting Canada past Sweden, 3-2.
He is also a former OHL Champion and Memorial Cup participant – he paced the OHL in goals during the 2008 postseason, and ranked fourth in points (20gp, 16g-16a), playing on a line with now-Predator forward Nick Spaling.
