Sat, Nov 12, 2016 at 6:50pm

FLYERS SEND STRAKA TO DEVILS

The New Jersey Devils acquired winger Petr Straka from the Philadelphia Flyers for a conditional seventh-round draft pick.

What does it give the New Jersey Devils
Straka was a second-round draft pick in 2010 (No. 55 overall by Columbus) and has some talent, something the Devils can use more of in their forward corps. The Czech has shown the ability to be a solid goal-scorer in both the junior ranks and in the AHL, so this might eventually be a sneaky-good pickup for New Jersey.

What does it give the Philadelphia Flyers
Now aged 24, Straka has not quite lived up to his draft position yet, so Philadelphia decided to move on here. With other prospects leap-frogging Straka on the depth chart in recent seasons, the Flyers clearly did not see him in the mix for their future. The deal also opens up a spot on the team's AHL roster.

Fantasy impact
Straka's mix of fairly high draft position--plus his proven record as a solid scorer at lower levels (plus a short NHL stint)--suggests he may still have some sleeper appeal, and this change of scenery might help him reach his potential. That said, he will start out in the AHL for now and is only worth keeping on the radar (rather than on your fantasy bench).