Panthers trade Brown to Senators for 4th-round pick

The Florida Panthers traded defenseman Josh Brown to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for the 95th overall pick in the 2020 draft, the Sens announced Friday.

Brown played in 56 games with the Panthers last year, recording three goals and five assists while averaging 13:25 of ice time per contest.

The 26-year-old has excelled defensively over the past two seasons, according to HockeyViz's isolated five-on-five impact (blue zones, negatives are good in the defensive end):

At 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, Brown will also provide a physical presence on the back end and could replace Mark Borowiecki if he departs in free agency. Brown led all Panthers defensemen with 77 hits a year ago. He also shoots right, which is a bonus for Ottawa's lefty-heavy blue line.

Brown is a pending restricted free agent and is eligible for arbitration. He earned $675,000 per year on his previous contract.

The London, Ontario, native won a Memorial Cup with the Oshawa Generals in 2015 while current Sens bench boss D.J. Smith was the team's head coach.

The Senators still have 12 picks in the 2020 draft. Florida now has eight selections.