Thrashers, Lightning swap AHL players

The Atlanta Thrashers, parent club of the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, have acquired defenseman Andy Delmore and forward Andre Deveaux from the Tampa Bay Lightning, parent club of the AHL’s Springfield Falcons, in exchange for forwards Kyle Wanvig and Stephen Baby.

The Thrashers have assigned Delmore and Deveaux to the Wolves, while Wanvig and Baby have been assigned to the Falcons.

Delmore currently leads Springfield defensemen and ranks fourth on the team with 24 points (12 goals, 12 assists) in 47 games. Last season, he won the AHL’s Eddie Shore Award as the league’s top defenseman and was named to the AHL First All-Star Team while collecting professional career highs in goals (17), assists (55) and points (72) in 66 games with Syracuse. He also appeared in seven games with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2005-06.

The native of LaSalle, Ont., has collected 101 points (43 goals, 58 assists) in 283 NHL games in seven seasons with Philadelphia, Nashville, Buffalo and Columbus.

Originally signed by Philadelphia as a free agent on June 9, 1997, Delmore set NHL career highs with 18 goals in 2002-03, and 22 assists and 38 points in 2001-02 with the Predators.

Deveaux, 22, has earned three points (one goal, two assists) in eight games with Springfield, and 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 21 games with Johnstown (ECHL) this season. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound right wing has collected 26 points (11 goals, 15 assists) and 353 penalty minutes in 140 AHL games over the past three seasons with the Falcons.

The native of Welland, Ont., was originally selected by Montreal in the sixth round, 182nd overall, in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.

Wanvig, 26, collected 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists) in 26 games with Chicago this season. The 6-2, 210-pound right wing has earned 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in 64 career NHL games with the Minnesota Wild. The 2003 Calder Cup champion (Houston) was signed by Atlanta as a free agent on July 18, 2006.

Baby, selected by the Thrashers in the seventh round, 188th overall, in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, has registered three points (one goal, two assists) in eight games with the Wolves this season. The 6-5, 230-pound right wing has spent the past four seasons with Chicago, notching 60 points (28 goals, 32 assists) and 252 penalty minutes in 179 AHL games.