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Panthers D continues to change, trade Josh Brown to Senators

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Josh brown panthers trade

The Florida Panthers made their second trade in just over a week Friday as the retooling of their defense continues with Josh Brown going to the Ottawa Senators for a fourth round pick.

Brown, 26, was a rare Florida draft success story as he was a sixth-round pick in 2013 and played in parts of 93 games with the Panthers.

Over the past two seasons, Brown was used as a six-seven defenseman but he did play in 56 games this season โ€” not including the final two against the Islanders in the qualifying round.

New general manager Bill Zito has made it obvious that fixing the Florida defense is a priority this offseason and Brown is the second player to depart since Toronto.

Last week, Zito sent Mike Matheson to Pittsburgh along with fourth-liner Colton Sceviour for veteran winger Patric Hornqvist.

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Florida has been mentioned as being a team which has interest in high-profile defensive free agentsย Alex Pietrangelo and Torey Krug.

Either player would command quite a hefty contract.

By dealing Brown, the Panthers add some draft stock (they now have eight picks in the remote draft which starts Tuesday night) and free up a roster spot.

Draft delay pays off for MacKenzie Weegar and the Florida Panthers

Six of the Panthersโ€™ eight draft picks are in the top four rounds including No. 12 overall.

Brown was in the final year of a two-year contract he signed and is a pending restricted free agent who would be due a nice raise off the $675,000 he had been averaging over the past two seasons.

For Ottawa, which picked Floridaโ€™s Jayce Hawryluk off waivers at the end of last season which worked out well, is is getting a physical defenseman in Brown.

At 6-foot-5, Brown has shown to be a dependable defenseman who will throw his body around.

For Florida, moving two defensemen early in the offseason means โ€” at least right now, anyway โ€” Brady Keeper and Chase Priskieโ€™s odds of being on this team next season have improved quite a bit.

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