SEMENOV TO FLORIDA
The Florida Panthers acquired defenseman Alexei Semenov from the Edmonton Oilers for a conditional draft pick in 2006.
What does it give the Florida Panthers
The Panthers were looking for a young stay-at-home defenseman to replace injured Slovak Branislav Mezei, so Semenov fits the bill. Semenov fell out of favor with Oilers coach Craig MacTavish, but could get a new lease on life under Jacques Martin--who has developed a wealth of young defensemen everywhere he's coached. However, Semenov can't score and THAT is Florida's biggest problem in the new NHL.
What does it give the Edmonton Oilers
The writing was on the wall for the 24-year-old Semenov, after being a healthy scratch four games in a row on an Oiler team missing two regular blueliners (Cory Cross) and (Igor Ulanov). The emergence of rookie Danny Syvret, as well as the presence of prospect Matt Greene in the AHL, made Semenov expendable. The conditional draft pick will likely turn into a third or fourth rounder.
Fantasy impact
