Syracuse Crunch Acquire Forward Matthew Peca From Springfield Thunderbirds

Matthew Peca is coming home. The Syracuse Crunch acquired the 32-year-old forward from the Springfield Thunderbirds on March 10 in exchange for defenseman Wyatt Newpower, reuniting Peca with the organization where he spent parts of four seasons between 2014 and 2018.

Peca arrives carrying both history and current production. He posted 34 points on eight goals and 26 assists in 49 games for Springfield this season, leading the Thunderbirds in scoring after the Matt Luff trade. He had also served as the team's captain for three consecutive seasons, making the deal a significant roster shift for the Blues' AHL affiliate heading into the stretch run.

The reunion carries real weight in Syracuse. During his first stint with the Crunch, Peca compiled 134 points on 34 goals and 100 assists across 204 games and was part of the 2017 team that reached the Calder Cup Finals. Now in his 11th professional season, he brings 530 career AHL games and 391 points to a Crunch club that needs veteran depth. He has also appeared in 83 NHL games, posting six goals and 21 points. Tampa Bay drafted him in the seventh round, 201st overall, in 2011, meaning this move returns him to the Lightning's development pipeline.

Springfield, meanwhile, addressed its blue line. The Thunderbirds received Newpower, a 28-year-old, 6-foot-4 right-handed defenseman from Hugo, Minnesota, who will be his sixth AHL stop after stints with five other organizations. In 21 games with Syracuse this season he put up five points on two goals and three assists and posted a plus-5 rating. He split the year between the Crunch and the Iowa Wild, totaling eight points in 44 combined games. Over 256 career AHL games, Newpower has 52 points and 272 penalty minutes. He is set to become a Group-6 unrestricted free agent at season's end.

The timing of the deal gives Syracuse immediate reinforcement. The Crunch opened a stretch of three home games in four days Wednesday night against the Toronto Marlies at 7 p.m., followed by a matchup with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Friday at the same time. Toronto entered that visit in fourth place in the North Division with 63 points but having just been swept in a two-game set in Manitoba, their road record sitting at exactly .500 at 13-13-3-2.

Peca figures to step into the lineup quickly, giving Syracuse a proven playmaker and a familiar face who knows exactly what it takes to push this franchise deep into the postseason.