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Lightning brings back Carter Ashton in depth trade

 
Published Feb. 7, 2015

The Lightning addressed its injury-depleted forward depth at AHL Syracuse by acquiring former Tampa Bay wing prospect Carter Ashton and left wing David Broll from the Maple Leafs for a conditional seventh-round draft pick in 2016.

With the Crunch losing forward Mike Blunden for the rest of the season and top scorer Jonathan Marchessault for a couple of weeks, a move was expected.

Ashton, the Lightning's first-round draft pick in 2009, has played in 54 NHL games, all with Toronto, seven this season. Ashton, 23, whom Tampa Bay traded to Toronto in 2012 for defenseman Keith Aulie, was suspended 20 games Nov. 6 after testing positive for Clenbuterol, a performance-enhancing drug. He said it was a result of using a teammate's inhaler to help an asthmatic spasm.

Broll, a sixth-round pick in 2011, has played in 94 AHL games, all with Toronto, recording three goals and 16 points. Both could join the Crunch for tonight's game against Springfield.

The condition of the draft pick is that if Ashton plays 15 NHL games for Tampa Bay next season, Toronto gets a seventh-rounder. If he doesn't, it gets nothing.