Numerous high quality AHL players were impacted during Thursday night deals in the National Hockey League
A pair of high scoring defensemen in the AHL are on the move in separate high profile deals in the NHL ahead of the trade deadline.
The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired Anthony Duclair and a seventh round pick from the San Jose Sharks for Jack Thompson and a third round pick.
Thompson, 21, a third-round selection of the Bolts in 2020, has been rock solid for the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL this season. The Ontario native has put up five goals and 32 points in 46 games with the Crunch, eclipsing his 2022-23 totals.
Elsewhere in a late night blockbuster, the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired forwards Michael Bunting, Ville Koivunen, Vasily Ponomarev, Cruz Lucius, and conditional 2024 first-round and fifth-round draft picks from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Jake Guentzel and Ty Smith.
On the AHL side, Ty Smith, who could feesibly remain with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins given Carolina's lack of an AHL affiliate, has been one of the Baby Pens best players. The 23-year-old first rounder in 2018 has nine goals and 32 points in 51 games.
Ville Koivunen, acquired by the Penguins, is a 20-year-old center who has divided the year between the AHL's Chicago Wolves where he has 1 point in 12 games, and the SM-liiga, where he's caught fire for 55 points in 57 games.
Vasily Ponomarev, 21, has spent parts of five seasons in the AHL, currently sitting with eight goals and 29 assists in 39 games with the Chicago Wolves.