Stars Trade Roman to Florida for Esposito

The Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars traded minor league forwards this evening during the Texas Stars game in Grand Rapids. Ondrej Roman is on his way to the Florida system, where he will likely play with the San Antonio Rampage. Texas will receive Angelo Esposito, former first round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Esposito has played in Chicago and San Antonio in the AHL. Esposito's most notable career achievement is likely scoring the game-winning goal at the 2009 World Junior Championships to secure the gold medal for Team Canada.

For both players it seems like a trade where the teams are hoping that a change of scenery would improve their performance. Both have dipped down into the ECHL this season for a few games, and I don't project either as NHL prospects at this point in their careers.

Texas and the Rampage face each other six more times on the season, four of those in Cedar Park.

Here's the release:

The Dallas Stars announced today that the club has traded left wing Ondrej Roman to the Florida Panthers in exchange for center Angelo Esposito.

Esposito, 22, has played in 16 games for the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League (AHL) this season, collecting two goals and three assists totaling five points and eight penalty minutes. Prior to his professional career, Esposito spent parts of four seasons with the Quebec Ramparts and the Montreal Juniors of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He scored the game-winning goal at the 2009 World Junior Championships to secure the gold medal for Team Canada. The 6-0, 190-pound forward from Montreal, QC was selected by Pittsburgh as the 20th overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

Roman, 22, has spent the majority of the season with the Texas Stars, Dallas’ primary affiliate in the AHL collecting one goal and four assists totaling five points and four penalty minutes with the club. The 6-0, 185-pound forward was selected by Dallas in the fifth round (136th overall) in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

(Image credit: Ron Byrd)