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Organizational depth acquistion. Will be given the opportunity to compete for a spot in training camp, but will most likely start the season in Milwaukee as an recall option for the third/fourth line.
I think we got too shallow in our minor league depth last season and were exposed badly because of it. The previous season we had a lot of success with recalls like Fiddler, Smithson, and even Tootoo. This season we were hampered by the ineffectiveness of recalls such as Abid, Leahy, and Peverley.
While I still believe Peverley has a future in the organization and Abid will be retained for scoring in Milwaukee...I think we will see a retooling of the rest of our minor league roster starting with the signing of some of our European and collegiate rookies and a few "tweener" players on the younger side with remaining "potential" that might just need a change of scenery to utilize that "potential".
Although he is a tad undersized for the role, I remember Ellison being a young power forward prospect with good history of scoring at the junior level. While he has not lit it up in the professional ranks at any level, I think he might still turn out to be a decent two-way scorer in a third/fourth line role at the NHL level.
Ellision is only 23 years old, but I think he might have been pushed out in Philadelphia because of the influx of younger players coming into the system from the juinor ranks. Not a bad trade, one that will likely have little impact at the NHL level unless Ellison either impresses in camp or we have a rash of injuries next season that facilitate the recall of Ellison from Milwaukee and he subsequently impresses.
Overall, a minor league depth deal. We take a flyer on a prospect who is no longer in the plans for Philadelphia. I know I'm in the minority, but I'm happy to see these types of deals because they are improving our club depth right now...hopefully they don't turn out to be our major moves of the offseason (I highly doubt that).
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