Stars Acquire Angelo Esposito from Panthers

The Dallas Stars announced on Friday that they have acquired center Angelo Esposito from the Florida Panthers in exchange for center Ondrej Roman. Both players will be eligible for restricted free agency this summer. In 16 games this season with San Antonio of the AHL, Esposito has two goals and three assists for five points. He also appeared in three games with Cincinnati of the ECHL, scoring one assist. In 24 games this season with Texas of the AHL, Roman has one goal and four assists for five points. He has also appeared in six games with Idaho of the ECHL, scoring two goals and four assists for six points. Both players have yet to appear in an NHL game. This is really just a depth move for the Stars, as Esposito has struggled mightily since entering the minor league ranks a couple seasons ago. Once projected to be the first overall pick in the 2007 draft, his stock began to drop during the 2006-07 season. Since then, he has not been able to crack an NHL roster and has seen himself traded several times in the process. Perhaps the change of scenery will help him improve his offensive game a little bit, but more than likely, his offensive output will continue to be low. As for the Panthers, Roman will be a depth player at best for them and will likely remain in the minors for the rest of the season.