Red Wings make three-way deal of AHL players, acquire center O'Regan

Nolan Bianchi
The Detroit News
Ducks center Danny O'Regan skates during the first period of a preseason in Anaheim, Calif. The Red Wings acquired O'Regan in a three-player trade on Monday.

Hours before Monday night's 4-3 overtime loss in Washington, the Red Wings made a trade — two, actually.

In a three-way swap of players all currently in the American Hockey League, Detroit sent forward Givani Smith to the Florida Panthers for defenseman Michael Del Zotto, who they then flipped to the Anaheim Ducks for 28-year-old center Danny O'Regan.

O'Regan was drafted by the San Jose Sharks with pick No. 138 in 2012, spending most of his pro career in the minor leagues. He played five games with Anaheim a season ago but has only played eight NHL games dating back to the 2017-18 season. With the AHL's San Diego Gulls, O'Regan had three goals and 15 assists in 27 games this season.

Smith, a 24-year-old who was taken with a second-round pick by Detroit in 2016, played two games with the Red Wings this season. He played 46 games for the Wings in 2021-22 but struggled to become a mainstay on the team's roster.

nbianchi@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @nolanbianchi