Florida Panthers Trade Top Prospect to Conference Rival For Multiple Draft Picks

Just now, AP writer Tim Reynolds reported an NHL trade which will see the Florida Panthers send one of their top prospects, Justin Sourdif, to the Washington Capitals in exchange for draft compensation.

Here is the Capitals' official trade announcement:

Sourdif, 23 years old, is one of the Panthers' top prospects and really made a name for himself this year in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers on their playoff run. Additionally, he scored 34 points in 43 AHL games this year.

Sourdif has seen some NHL action over the past two years, scoring one goal over four games and looks more than ready for an NHL role, which the Capitals see in him.

In return, the Capitals are parting ways with a second and sixth-round pick: two assets the Panthers needed desperately as they lack picks moving forward after trading them away to build their back-to-back championship-winning roster.

At only 23 years old, Sourdif has plenty of room to grow, and the only reason he has not been a full-time NHLer sooner is that the Panthers are the deepest team in hockey. We will now see what happens with Sourdif in Washington and if he can prove he is worth the price tag the Capitals just paid for him.