Montreal Canadiens Trade Matthew Peca To Ottawa Senators
The Montreal Canadiens have made another minor trade today. They moved Matthew Peca to the Ottawa Senators.
The Montreal Canadiens continue to move out all of their pending unrestricted free agents. It started with Marco Scandella and Ilya Kovalchuk in the days leading up to the trade deadline. Earlier today they moved Nate Thompson for a fifth round pick in 2021 from the Philadelphia Flyers.
Just now, they traded Matthew Peca to the Ottawa Senators for Aaron Luchuk and a 7th round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.
Peca was in the second year of a two year contract that pays him $1.3 million. He played most of this season in the American Hockey League with the Laval Rocket. In 34 games with the Habs top affiliate, he had just four goals and 13 points.
With Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Ryan Poehling and Jake Evans all moving back to Laval after stints of various lengths in the National Hockey League, Peca was moved to the wing and then pushed down to the fourth line in Laval.
The 26 year old played a total of 44 games in a Habs jersey, scoring three goals and ten points. He is a speedy forward who can play centre or wing, but just never really clicked in the Habs organization after signing that two year deal in July of 2018.
Luchuk is a 22 year old who played most of the season in the ECHL with the Newfoundland Growlers. He had 50 points in 45 games there and will now report to the Laval Rocket. Just two years ago, Luchuk led the Ontario Hockey League in scoring with 115 points for the Windsor Spitfires and Barrie Colts.
It will be interesting to see if he can bring some of that scoring punch to the AHL level. The Habs also add a 7th round pick in the upcoming draft at the Bell Centre in Montreal in June. In the past few years, the Canadiens have selected Cayden Primeau, Jake Evans and Brett Stapley who are all legitimate NHL prospects at this time.
Next. Kreider Singing Makes Tatar More Valuable. dark
Peca never really fit in with the Habs but it will be interesting to see how Luchuk clicks in Laval and what prospect the Canadiens add with a very late pick in June.