Bruins Trade Rights to Benoit Pouliot to Tampa Bay in Exchange for Michel Ouellet, Fifth-Round Pick

The Boston Bruins have taken a proactive approach to free agency, trading the rights to restricted free agent Benoit Pouliot to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for forward Michel Ouellet and a fifth-round pick, No. 131 overall.

The Bruins were not planning on extending a qualifying offer to Pouliot, who signed a one-year, $1.1 million deal with the team last July. Pouliot had a career-high 32 points in 74 games for Boston this season. With no plans to bring him back, the Bruins decided to get some value.

Ouellet was a fourth-round pick in the 2000 NHL Draft and spent last season playing for the Norfolk Admirals in the AHL. He has amassed 116 points in 190 career NHL games.