Anaheim Ducks acquire defenceman Michael Del Zotto in three-way deal
The Anaheim Ducks have acquired Michael Del Zotto in a trade involving three players and three teams.
The Ducks have acquired Florida defenceman Michael Del Zotto in a three-team deal. Detroit acquired center Danny O’Regan from Anaheim while Florida receives right wing Givani Smith from the Red Wings.
— Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) December 19, 2022The Detroit Red Wings receive Danny O’Regan from Anaheim and the Florida Panthers receive Givani Smith from Detroit.
Del Zotto played 23 games for the Charlotte Checkers in the American Hockey League this season, scoring two goals and 10 points. Center Danny O’Regan played 27 games for the San Diego Gulls this season, putting up three goals and 18 points. The youngest member of the trade Givani Smith, 24-years-old, is also the only one to have played NHL games this season. He played two games for the Detroit Red Wings, scoring zero points.
All three of these players are on league minimum contracts and will almost certainly play the remainder of the season for their new team’s respective AHL affiliates.
Michael Del Zotto has the most impressive NHL resume of the lot with 736 games experience playing for the New York Rangers, Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers, Vancouver Canucks, Anaheim Ducks, St. Louis Blues, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Ottawa Senators. This will be his third stint with the Anaheim Ducks.
Del Zotto was initially traded from Vancouver to Anaheim in January 2019 in exchange for defenceman Luke Schenn. He was promptly shipped off to St. Louis for a sixth-round draft pick a month later. But the Ducks clearly liked what they saw in his 12 games stint as they signed him in free agency a few months later.
He played a full season in Anaheim in 2019-20 before signing with Columbus the following season.
Del Zotto has 262 points in his 13-year NHL career as well as 44 points in 62 career AHL games.
Givani Smith played 85 games for the Red Wings, scoring seven goals and 14 points over four seasons. Danny O’Regan played 30 games for the San Jose Sharks, Buffalo Sabres, and Anaheim Ducks over four seasons, scoring one goal and six points.