Ducks send Sgarbossa to Panthers in swap of forwards

The Ducks traded Michael Sgarbossa to the Florida Panthers for Logan Shaw in a swap of bottom-six forwards Wednesday.

Sgarbossa was mostly a fourth-line center during his nine-game stint this season. He centered the top line for one game and earned playing time over Chris Wagner the past two games. An undrafted player who came to the Ducks in a 2015 trade with the Colorado Avalanche, Sgarbossa, 24, had three assists in 19 games.

Shaw, 24, has more NHL experience and a more offensive resume with five goals in 53 games, and he played in three playoff games for the Panthers last season. He is set to become a restricted free agent after this season, while Sgarbossa will be unrestricted.

Defensive changes

Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle changed his defensemen pairings Tuesday and reunited Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson, and Cam Fowler with Sami Vatanen. Veterans Kevin Bieksa and Clayton Stoner were the third pairing.

“I don’t think it really takes rocket science [to realize] that the pairing of Josh Manson and Hampus Lindholm was one of the top pairs in the league last year,” Carlyle said.

Lindholm is the puck-moving skater to Manson’s physical stay-at-home model, while Vatanen and Fowler, partners at times earlier this season, both possess speed and offense.

“It gave us a one-two punch in saying we have a 1A and 1B top pair,” Carlyle said.

Always cautious, Carlyle said the pairs have to prove themselves for him to stick with them.

“They’ve got to go out and perform night in, night out, and there’s a lot of hockey to be played here in the next little while,” Carlyle said.

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Update: Devils wing Taylor Hall had arthroscopic surgery for a torn meniscus in his left knee and is expected to miss three to four weeks. Hall scored both goals in a 2-1 win against the Ducks on Oct.18. New Jersey is on a five-game win streak.