DETROIT – The Red Wings have re-acquired defenseman Kyle Quincey – whom they drafted in 2003 – in a three-team trade Tuesday afternoon.
The Colorado Avalanche sent Quincey to Tampa Bay for veteran forward Steve Downie. The Lightning then moved Quincey to Detroit for a first-round pick in 2012 and Sebastien Piche, who had five assists in 42 games that covered three seasons in Grand Rapids.
Over a three-season period, Quincey, 26, played in 13 games for the Wings, and scored his first NHL goal in Detroit’s 7-2 season-finale win over the Chicago Blackhawks on April 7, 2007.
Quincey played a significant role in the Wings reaching the Western Conference finals in 2007 when veteran defenseman Mathieu Schneider was injured. That spring, Quincey played in 13 playoff games.
But with a backlog of defensemen, the Wings placed Quincey on waivers early in the 2008-09 season, where he was claimed by the Los Angeles Kings. The following summer Quincey was traded along with Tom Preissing and a fifth-round draft choice to the Avalanche for Ryan Smyth.
A shoulder injury forced Quincey to miss the majority of the 2010-11 season. This year the 6-foot-2 native of Kitchner, Ontario, led all Colorado defensemen with five goals and 18 assists in 54 games.
The Wings were looking for some depth on their third defensive pairing to play along side Jonathan Ericsson. Quincey should also get some ice-time on the second power play unit with Niklas Kronwall.
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