The Montreal Canadiens were busy on Thursday, as GM Marc Bergevin has completed a pair of trades with Ottawa and Buffalo.
First, the Habs sent defenseman Mike Reilly to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for forward Andrew Sturtz and a 5th-round draft pick in 2021.
While Reilly is likely to see action with the Ottawa Senators, the returning player, Sturtz, is expected to report to the Laval Rockets of the AHL.
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Shortly thereafter, the Habs went on to acquire veteran defenseman Marco Scandella from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a 4th-round draft pick in 2020.
It seems as though the first move was made to facilitate the second, as Scandella is most certainly an upgrade over Mike Reilly.
Something tells me the Habs are not done here, and Bergevin will continue to explore all options available to him in his pursuit to improve his club and attempt to squeeze back into the playoff picture.
Scandella, a nearly 550 game NHL veteran, has 9 points through 31 games with the Sabres this season and carries a $4M cap hit through the 2019-20 season before he becomes a UFA.
Scandella is a native of Montreal, PQ.
