Pending free agent defenceman Hamhuis shipped to Flyers by Predators for Parent

FILE- Nashville Predators defenseman Dan Hamhuis, left, and Los Angeles Kings center Brad Richardson battle for the puck in this March 14, 2010 photo in Los Angeles. The Philadelphia Flyers have added a veteran defenceman to a roster that came within two wins of the Stanley Cup, acquiring Dan Hamhuis from the Nashville Predators in a trade Saturday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Mark J. Terrill

The Philadelphia Flyers have added a veteran defenceman to a roster that came within two wins of the Stanley Cup, acquiring Dan Hamhuis from the Nashville Predators in a trade Saturday.

Philadelphia also received a conditional draft pick in 2011 in the deal, which sent defenceman Ryan Parent to Nashville.

Hamhuis, 27, is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent July 1.

"Obviously, our intention is to get him signed prior to that date and that is what our aim is at this point in time,”Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said in a release. "The sooner that we get going on trying to get this done, the better."

Hamhuis averaged 22 minutes 24 seconds of ice time last season, his sixth in the NHL. He has never played in fewer than 78 games in a season with the Predators.

"Hamhuis is a good all-around defenceman,”Holmgren said. "He has been in Nashville since his draft year.

"He's a guy who can play lots of minutes and he can play in a lot of different situations, from power play to killing penalties."

Nashville selected Parent, 23, in the first round of the 2005 Entry Draft, but shipped him to Philadelphia two years later in the deal that delivered forward Peter Forsberg to the Predators.

Parent averaged 14:46 of ice time in 48 games with the Flyers last season. The native of Prince Albert, Sask., had a goal and two assists during the regular season and played in 17 playoff games.

Hamhuis has collected 32 goals and 161 points over 483 regular-season games—all with Nashville.

"I think Philly has an unbelievable defensive core,”Hamhuis said in a statement. "To join a core like that makes the Flyers one of the tougher ones in the league.

"To play against the teams from the East, the conference has a lot of great forwards, and watching the playoffs, having a great defence will get you a long way."