Former Canadiens defenceman Marco Scandella retires: How his trade still benefits Montreal

Former Canadiens defenceman and Montreal native Marco Scandella announced his retirement from hockey Thursday morning. He played in 784 games over 14 seasons, split between the Minnesota Wild, Buffalo Sabres, Canadiens, and St. Louis Blues. Scandella was only in Montreal for what felt like a cup of coffee, but what the Canadiens acquired from flipping the blueliner is still paying off in the organization today.

Playing career

Scandella was drafted by the Wild 55th overall in the second round of the 2008 NHL Draft. He spent the first couple of seasons split between the AHL and NHL before becoming a regular in the Wild lineup in the 2013-14 season. He spent parts of seven seasons with the Wild before being traded to the Sabres along with Jason Pominville and a fourth-round pick for Tyler Ennis, Marcus Foligno, and a third-round pick. He spent the next two and a half years with the Sabres before being traded to the Canadiens for a fourth-round pick. Despite the Canadiens' poor record, Scandella was a bright spot on the roster. After just 20 games, the Habs flipped Scandella to the Blues for a second-round pick and a fourth-round pick. He spent over four seasons in St. Louis, but struggled with injuries in his time there. Following the end of the 2023-24 season, Scandella became a free agent but went unsigned.

Scandella’s lasting impact in Montreal

After trading a fourth-round pick to acquire Scandella, the Canadiens bought low and sold high. Just a couple of weeks later, they recouped the fourth-round pick they traded away and received an additional second-round pick with the trade with the Blues.

With the fourth-round pick, the Canadiens selected defenceman William Trudeau, who has spent the last three seasons with the Laval Rocket. The 2020 second-round pick the Habs acquired was flipped to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 2020 fourth-round pick and a 2021 second-round pick. With the fourth-round pick, the Canadiens selected winger Sean Farrell. Farrell created a lot of hype following his draft year after becoming just the second player in USHL history to surpass 100 points in a season. He struggled in his first season with the Rocket, but had a bounce-back year last season, recording 20 goals and 44 points in 67 games.

The final piece of the trade, the second-round pick, was used to select Finnish centre Oliver Kapanen. Kapanen is one of the best prospects in the Canadiens' system. He started last season on the Habs' opening night roster, playing in 18 games, finishing with two assists. After being sent back down to the AHL, Kapanen elected to go play in the SHL, where he had a strong season, recording 15 goals and 35 points in 36 games. Scandella’s time with the Canadiens was brief, but the franchise is still benefiting from its smart piece of business.