While Montreal Canadiens fans wait for a blockbuster trade to bolster the team’s top-six forward group, the franchise continues to be active in the trade market. It just happens to be another AHL move. The Canadiens announced Monday afternoon that forward Sean Farrell was being traded to the Anaheim Ducks for forward Sasha Pastujov. Farrell, the Canadiens' fourth-round pick in 2020, made his NHL debut immediately following the conclusion of his collegiate career, but has since played the last three seasons with the Laval Rocket. In the trade, the Canadiens acquired Pastujov, who was the Ducks' third-round pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. Pastujov has spent the last three seasons split between the AHL and ECHL, but put up a career-high 21 goals and 36 assists in 71 games with the San Diego Gulls last year.
Farrell’s AHL ceiling with the Canadiens
Farrell was as hyped as any fourth-round pick has ever been after his 2020-21 season with the Chicago Steel in the USHL. He became just the second player in USHL history to record over 100 points in a single season. Farrell scored 29 goals and added 72 assists in just 53 games, as he took home the USHL Player of the Year and Dave Tyler Junior Player of the Year Award. He later committed to play for Harvard University, and after two productive seasons in the NCAA, Farrell signed his entry-level contract with the Canadiens. Instead of going to the AHL, Farrell finished out the season in the NHL with the Canadiens, registering a goal in six games. The only NHL action he would see with the Canadiens.
Farrell spent the next three seasons with the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate, the Rocket. In his rookie season, Farrell posted solid numbers, recording nine goals and 19 assists in 47 games, as the team missed the playoffs. The next season, Farrell significantly improved his play, recording 20 goals and 24 assists in 67 games. He was instrumental in the team’s playoff run, scoring three goals and adding seven assists in 13 games as the Rocket fell to the Rochester Americans in the Division Finals. Farrell’s numbers improved once again this past season, setting a new career-high of 53 points in 72 games. In his three seasons with the Rocket, Farrell has proved that he is a top-end player in the AHL. Still, as an offensive-first player, the Canadiens do not have room in their top six for another diminutive (listed at 5’9”) and elected to give him a fresh start with the Ducks.
Who are the Canadiens getting in Sasha Pastujov?
In return, the Canadiens received American winger Pastujov. Pastujov impressed during his stint in the OHL with the Guelph Storm and Sarnia Sting. In his first season with the Storm, joining from the U.S. National Development Team, he recorded 34 goals and 42 assists in 65 games, but was held pointless in the team’s four playoff games. The next season, he began the season with the Storm before being traded to the Sting. He was dominant in his second season, recording 41 goals and 57 assists, finishing fourth in OHL scoring. Pastujov made the jump to the AHL the next season. As a rookie, he recorded 10 goals and 13 assists in 46 games.
In his second season, he split time between the Ducks AHL and ECHL affiliates, but was outstanding for both teams. In the ECHL with the Tulsa Oilers, Pastujov was a point-per-game player, recording nine goals and seven assists in 12 games. That trend continued in the AHL with the Gulls. In 43 games, Pastujov scored 17 goals and added 28 assists. It was looking like the NHL was on the horizon for Pastujov, but that opportunity never arose during his tenure with the Ducks. This past season, he reached the 20-goal mark for the first time in his AHL career, finishing with 57 points in 71 games, but never got the opportunity to make his NHL debut. The trade likely gives a fresh start for both players, but it might be more of the same for the two of them. Pastujov will likely start the season with the Rocket, but with his level of offensive production, he could be on the shortlist of players to be called up if the Canadiens face injury troubles.
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