BOSTON — For the second Thursday in a row, the Bruins have been involved in trade talks.
Unlike last week's aborted deal of Marco Sturm, these trades have come to fruition, but neither will have an immediate impact on the big club in Boston.
The Bruins swung a pair of deals exchanging minor leaguers with Florida and Tampa Bay. Forwards Jeff LoVecchio and Jordan Knackstedt have been traded to the Panthers for defenseman Sean Zimmerman and a conditional seventh-round draft choice, while forward Levi Nelson had been sent to the Lightning for forward Juraj Simek.
Zimmerman and Simek will both report directly to the Bruins' AHL affiliate in Providence.
Zimmerman, 23, played in just seven games with Florida's AHL affiliate in Rochester this year, but the 6-foot-2, 200-pound blueliner had 2-7-9 totals and 105 penalty minutes in 72 games with San Antonio (AHL) last year. Simek, 23, had 3-6-9 totals in 21 games with Tampa Bay's AHL affiliate in Norfolk.
The moves help clear up a logjam of forwards in Providence, which recently received Jordan Caron on loan from Boston and has Max Sauve close to returning from a wrist injury. With Steven Kampfer also recalled to Boston with Mark Stuart sidelined with a broken hand, Zimmerman will help augment Providence's defense corps.
LoVecchio had a solid camp in Boston this fall before being sent down, but had just 0-3-3 totals in 22 games with Providence after posting 15-9-24 totals in 65 games last season. Knackstedt had 7-5-12 totals in 22 games with Providence this year, while Nelson had 4-3-7 totals in 14 games.
