Stars And Lightning Strike A Deal

The Tampa Bay Lightning have traded forward Alexei Lipanov to the Dallas Stars in exchange for forward Tye Felhaber.

Although this is a small move by the two 2020 Stanley Cup finalists, it's nice to finally see a trade of some kind go down.

Lipanov has spent the past few seasons primarily in the ECHL with the Orlando Solar Bears. In 49 games total games with the team, he had 10 goals and 11 assists. He also suited up in five games with the Syracuse Crunch over two seasons and was held without a point. This move is expected to allow him to at least get into AHL action consistently with the Texas Stars. From here, perhaps the 2017 third-round pick can get back on track.

Felhaber is a pretty interesting player to watch. The 23-year-old winger scored 59 goals and had 109 points in 68 games during the 2018-19 season with the Ottawa 67's. Yet, that scoring hasn't translated over much to the AHL, as he had eight goals and 10 assists in 96 total games with the Texas Stars. However, the Lightning are also known for helping players develop well, so maybe they can help him find his old scoring touch a little more from here.

Alas, time will tell how this trade impacts both of these forwards.