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Battalion move defenceman to Kitchener

Battalion receive multiple picks in deal with Rangers.
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The North Bay Battalion traded overage defenceman Miles Liberati to the Kitchener Rangers, the Ontario Hockey League club announced Monday.

The Battalion received second- and eighth-round picks in the 2017 OHL Priority Selection, a second-rounder in 2018 and a third-rounder in 2019.

Liberati, a Cheswick, Pa., resident, had eight goals and eight assists for 16 points in 24 games with the Troops this season, including three assists in a 6-3 home-ice victory Sunday over the Flint Firebirds.

“It’s a good trade for both teams,” said Stan Butler, the Battalion’s director of hockey operations and head coach on battalionhockey.com 

“It allows us to get a lot of our draft picks back that we spent last year in the (Nick) Moutrey trade. And, with (Brady) Lyle coming back, it allows us to get our young defencemen more ice time.”

Butler said the move should help Liberati as well.

“It’s a great situation for Miles, as he’s going to one of the best teams in the country. Hopefully, it’s a win-win situation for both parties.”

The Battalion acquired Liberati in a Nov. 19, 2013, trade with the London Knights for the rights to overage defenceman Zach Bell and a fourth-round pick in 2016. In 134 games with North Bay, Liberati scored 27 goals and earned 36 assists for 63 points.

A third-round choice by London, 55th overall, in the 2011 OHL Priority Selection from the Pittsburgh Vipers under-16 team, Liberati was selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the seventh round of the 2013 National Hockey League Draft.

“From his strong skating, to his ability to move the puck, Miles was a player at the top of our list in terms of someone we felt could help us,” Rangers general manager Murray Hiebert told the club’s website.

The Battalion acquired right winger Moutrey from the Saginaw Spirit last Jan. 4 for goaltender Evan Cormier, second-round picks in the 2015, 2017 and 2019 OHL Priority Selections and a fourth-rounder in 2020.

The two second-round picks acquired Monday originally belonged to the Oshawa Generals, while the eighth-rounder was that of the Ottawa 67’s. The third-rounder was Kitchener’s own selection.

With the depature of Liberati, it opens the door for Cameron Dineen and Brady Lyle to fill the key role of a puck moving offensive defenceman.  Lyle, in his first game back after breaking his collarbone in pre-season action, took a spot on the second powerplay unit in his debut.