The Habs made a pair of trades early on in the draft on Friday night. They dealt Lars Eller to Washington in exchange for the Caps’ 2nd round picks in 2017 and 2018. They then moved both of their second rounders (39 and 45) this year to Chicago for Andrew Shaw.
Shaw has spent his entire career with the Blackhawks thus far. Last season, he played in 78 games with Chicago, scoring 14 goals and adding 20 assists to go along with 69 PIMS and a +11 rating. He also picked up six points in six postseason contests.
In his career, Shaw has played in 322 NHL games, scoring 70 goals and 67 assists with 300 PIMS. He’s a pending restricted free agent with arbitration rights but is believed to be asking at least $4.5 million per year on a new deal. Shaw’s agent, Pat Brisson, believes a deal can be reached relatively quickly. Elliotte Friedman reported on the draft broadcast that it will be a long-term pact, potentially five or six years.
Eller has spent the last six years with the Habs after being acquired from St. Louis as part of the Jaroslav Halak trade. Last year, he suited up in 79 games with Montreal, picking up 13 goals and 13 assists with 28 PIMS and a -13 rating. He played in 435 games with the Canadiens, scoring 71 goals and 83 assists.
Eller has two years left on his contract with a cap hit of $3.5 million and salaries of $4.25 million in each season.
The Canadiens now no longer hold a second round pick in 2016. If they don’t acquire one for this draft, it will be the third straight year that they don’t hold a second round selection. They have two for 2017 (MTL/WSH) and three for 2018 (CHI/MTL/WSH) though.
Shaw’s Stats:
Eller’s Stats: