Albany

A 19-goal scorer last season who can't crack the lineup this year? Why not give him a look?

That sums up the attitude of Albany Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald, whose team Saturday night acquired right wing Petr Straka from the Philadelphia Flyers' organization.

The New Jersey Devils gave up a conditional seventh-round draft pick in 2017 or 2018 to acquire Straka, a 24-year-old Czech Republic native who had 19 goals and 18 assists in 64 games last season with the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

The trade was announced during Albany's game against the St. John's IceCaps at Times Union Center. The Devils rallied to beat the IceCaps, 4-3.

"It was just an opportunity for a kid who probably needs to catch a break," Fitzgerald said after the game. "He's got some skill. It's just new scenery. I felt like, you know what, any time you can add skill, that's a good thing."

Straka, who played three NHL games for Philadelphia in 2014-15, was a healthy scratch for all of the Phantoms games thus far.

"The numbers that Lehigh Valley has, and the number of prospects coming through that have bypassed him apparently, left him in the stands," Fitzgerald said.

The Devils announced that Straka, who played 60 games (9-1827) for the 2014-15 Glens Falls-based Adirondack Phantoms, will be assigned to Albany.

Straka was a 2010 second-round draft choice of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

"He's a left-shot right wing," Fitzgerald said. "We've got Ben Sexton playing the right side, natural center. Joe Blandisi playing the off side, we're asking him to do that. We like depth on the right wing. This is part of adding it and helping out the situation."

Traveling man

Goaltender Yann Danis, who represented the Devils in last season's AHL All-Star Classic, was without a team at the start of this season.

He was in training camp with the Anaheim Ducks on a tryout contract but was cut. Danis, 35, was without a job until the St. John's IceCaps, an affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens, signed him to an AHL contract.

Danis, 35, started his career in the Canadiens' organization.

"Everybody's with me in St. John's," he said of his wife and two sons. "We're all settled, rented a house. The family's been there two, two and a half weeks. We're all settled in and ready for another year.

While with the Devils last season, Danis ranked second in the AHL with eight shutouts and third with a 2.22 goals-against average. It is the 14th different professional uniform he has worn since graduating from Brown in 2004.

Devils notes

C Blake Coleman, one of eight players who had appeared in Albany's first 11 games, was a healthy scratch. C Jan Mandat, who set up Rod Pelley's game-tying goal in the third period, took that lineup spot. ... The Devils improved to 6-1-0 at Times Union Center, tying Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (6-2-0) for most home victories in the AHL.

pdougherty@timesunion.com • 518-454-5416 • @Pete_Dougherty