Panthers Acquire T.J. Brennan From Sabres

On Friday night it was announced that the Florida Panthers had acquired defenseman T.J. Brennan from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a 5th round draft pick in 2013. The 5th round pick that the Panthers are sending to the Sabres was received when the team traded Keaton Ellerby to the Los Angeles Kings on Frebruary 8th, so in actuality the team basically swapped Ellerby for Brennan.

Selected in the 2nd round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, the 23 year-old Brennan has appeared in 10 games with the Sabres this season and recored one powerplay goal. Brennan is known as a talented offensive defenseman with a strong left-handed shot and a nice upside. His offensive abilities could potentially bring back the presence of a quality shot from the blue line that has been missing since the departure of Jason Garrison.

To make the transition easier from Buffalo to Florida, Brennan will find a familiar face sitting behind the bench – Head Coach Kevin Dineen. Dineen coached Brennan for two seasons when both were a part of the Portland Pirates organization. Dineen’s familiarity with both Brennan and his play style should help Brennan slip into the Panthers’ lineup with ease.

When asked about the addition of Brennan, Florida Panthers’ General Manager Dale Tallon had this to say:

'T.J. is a young and mobile defenseman with a hard shot, who we are pleased to have acquired,' said Tallon. 'He is a hard working player with an offensive upside, who has averaged almost a point-per-game in the American Hockey League this season. We look forward to his contributions to our organization.' Tallon told Panthers.nhl.com

For the Panthers, the addition of Brennan to the blue line can only help what has been a disappointing defensive unit throughout the entire season. His arrival and the return of team Captain Ed Jovanovksi in the near future should send defenseman Colby Robak and Nolan Yonkman back to the AHL. Considering the Panthers are still a longshot to make the playoffs this year, expect this to be the first of many trades for the Panthers in the coming weeks.

 

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Jameson CooperA Florida resident, Jameson is currently in his first year of covering the Florida Panthers for The Hockey Writers as well as doing THW's weekly NHL Power Rankings.TwitterFacebookGoogle+

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.