TAMPA, Fla., March 11 (UPI) -- The Tampa Bay Lightning claimed veteran defenseman Janne Laukkanen off waivers Tuesday from the New York Rangers.
The Lightning acquired a serviceable defenseman without making a deal before Tuesday's trade deadline, plucking Laukkanen from his second NHL team of the season.
Later in the day, Tampa Bay obtained 37-year-old defenseman Marc Bergevin from Pittsburgh for seldom-used center Brian Holzinger, reuniting Laukkanen with a former teammate. Bergevin begins his second stint with the Lightning.
Acquired last month in the deal that sent Alexei Kovalev from Pittsburgh to New York, Laukkanen never played a game for the Rangers. He was at Hartford of the American Hockey League on a rehabiliation stint due to a hip injury.
In 17 games for the Penguins this season, the 31-year-old Laukkanen had a goal and six assists. The 6-1, 196-pound Finn has 21 goals and 99 assists in 405 NHL games, also playing with Ottawa and Colorado.
"We have scouted him numerous times over the past few weeks during his conditioning stint with Hartford and he has demonstrated to us in those viewings that he is capable of playing in the NHL," Lightning General Manager Jay Feaster said. "The best part was we accomplished this without losing a single asset from our organization."
Laukkanen spent parts of five seasons in Ottawa, where he worked with Lightning Associate Coach Craig Ramsay.
Bergevin is in his 20th NHL season. He has appeared in 1,129 NHL games with Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Detroit, Tampa Bay, Hartford, the New York Islanders and Chicago, totaling 35 goals and 135 assists with a minus-64 rating.
In 76 postseason games, Bergevin has three goals, nine assists and the experience necessary to help a young team headed to the playoffs.
Holzinger appeared in only four games for Tampa Bay this season. He goes to a team that has made a host of moves in recent weeks as it attempts to pare payroll.
