The Tampa Bay Lightning have flipped prospects today, calling up Byron Froese from Syracuse and assigning Matthew Peca. The Lightning will take on the New York Rangers tonight at Madison Square Garden, before travelling to Ottawa for the second half of their back to back tomorrow night.
Froese was acquired by Tampa Bay from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Brian Boyle deal late last month, and had showed off in his three games in the AHL. Three points in two games was worth a call-up, and with the team desperately needing help at center he should get a chance to prove his NHL readiness.
The 26-year old Froese has 58 games of NHL experience, almost all of which came last year on the last place Maple Leafs. He is a very effective scoring threat at the AHL, with 26 goals and 42 points in 50 games this season. Likely never going to turn into a top-line player, he’ll try to force his way the bottom-six plans of GM Steve Yzerman before becoming a restricted free agent this summer.