Alexander Volkov was traded to the Anaheim Ducks by the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday.
The Lightning received forward prospect Antoine Morand and a seventh-round NHL Draft pick.
Volkov scored five points (three goals, two assists) in 19 games for the Lightning this season, his second in the NHL. The 23-year-old forward had one assist in nine NHL games last season. He was a second-round pick (No. 48) by Tampa Bay in the 2017 NHL Draft.
"We are excited to have Alexander join our organization," Ducks general manager Bob Murray said. "We believe a fresh start will help him further develop as we look to continue adding youthful talent."
Volkov played in the Lightning's Stanley Cup-clinching 2-0 win against the Dallas Stars last season. It was the only Stanley Cup Playoff game he played for Tampa Bay.
"I'm always going to remember Game 6 when the kid spent 64 days in the bubble, worked his tail off and earned his right to play in Game 6 and probably, definitely at the time was the biggest game of his life," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said Thursday. "He gave us a contribution, he drew a penalty on which we scored on the power play and helped us win us the Cup.
"You need everybody involved, even guys who didn't get a ton of minutes in the bubble. 'Volky' gave it to us and he'll always live in Lightning history as a contributor to a Stanley Cup. Now he's moved on."
Morand has scored six points (one goal, five assists) in 21 games for San Diego in the American Hockey League this season. The 22-year-old was a second-round pick (No. 60) by Anaheim in the 2017 draft; he has not played an NHL game.
Cooper said the need to stay under the NHL salary cap of $81.5 million is the reason Volkov was traded.
"We're just in the cap situation and everything, it's tough," Cooper said. "I wish him nothing but the best because he was a great teammate for us."
If Anaheim's seventh-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft is unavailable due to the conditions of a previous trade, the Lightning will receive the Ducks' seventh-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
NHL.com staff writer Tracey Myers contributed to this report
