On Tuesday, Habs GM Marc Bergevin made his first trade of the season, sending right winger Christian Thomas to the Arizona Coyotes. In return, the Canadiens acquire winger Lucas Lessio.
Lessio, 22, was the 56th overall pick of the Coyotes in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft out of Oshawa of the OHL. This is his third pro season. So far in 2015-16, he has played in 24 games with the AHL’s Springfield Falcons, collecting seven goals and five assists with 25 PIMS and a -5 rating.
Lessio has a bit of NHL experience with the Coyotes. He played 26 games in the NHL last year, collecting two goals and three assists while average 12:45 per game.
Thomas, 23, was the 40th overall pick of the Rangers in 2010. He played in five games with the Habs earlier this season, picking up a pair of assists while averaging 8:36 per game. In his NHL career, split between Montreal and New York (one game), he has a goal and two helpers in 26 games. He also played in 18 games with St. John’s of the AHL this year, picking up seven goals and seven assists.
Lessio has one year of waiver exemption remaining and is on the final season of his entry level contract. He carries a cap hit of just over $830,000. Lessio, as expected, has been assigned to the IceCaps.
Lessio’s Stats:
Thomas’ Stats: