WASHINGTON — Givani Smith’s time in the Detroit Red Wings organization is over.
The 2016 second-round pick, once viewed as a potential fourth-line slugger/enforcer, was part of a minor league trade Monday night that sent Smith to the Florida Panthers for outfielder Michael Del Zotto. The Wings then traded Del Zotto to the Anaheim Ducks for forward Danny O’Regan, who will report to the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Just over a year ago, the Wings thought enough of the 24-year-old Smith to place him on the protected player list during the Seattle Kraken’s expansion draft.
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Smith played in 85 games for the Wings from 2019-2022, recording seven assists, seven goals, a minus-16 rating and 138 penalty minutes. He brought energy and was willing to fight, but he lacked speed and sometimes discipline, and that wasn’t able to get a foothold in Detroit. In the current season, he participated in two games for Wings.
The Berlin-born American O’Regan has played in 30 NHL games but hasn’t played more than a handful in a season since playing as a 19-year-old with the San Jose Sharks in 2017-18. He scored 99 goals and made 174 assists in 361 games of his American Hockey League career.
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With Smith’s departure, defenseman Filip Hronek remains the only player selected by the Wings in the 2016 draft. First-round pick Dennis Cholowski was exposed in the 2021 expansion draft and taken by the Kraken, but they waived him before the season and he was claimed by the Washington Capitals. He is currently with the New York Islanders organization.
None of the other picks — defenseman Alphonse Malmstrom (No. 107), defenseman Jordan Sambrook (No. 137), Phillip Larson (No. 167) and F.J. Matias Elfstrom (#197), never played in a Wings uniform and is no longer with the organization.
Contact Helen St. James[email protected]. Follow him on Twitter@helenestjames:. Read more onDetroit Red Wings and register for usRed Wings newsletter. His latest book, On the Clock. Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available. Amazon:,Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies are available through her email.
Next: Lightning
Match. Red Wings (13-11-6 entering Monday) vs. Tampa Bay (20-9-1).
Faceoff: 19:00 Wednesday; Little Caesars Arena, Detroit.
Television/Radio. Bally Sports Detroit; WXYT-FM (97.1).
More online. Monday’s game in Washington was over after this edition went to press. For game results, visit freep.com/sports.
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