The Habs and Avalanche hooked up on a trade on Wednesday but not the deal many were hoping for as Montreal dealt Sven Andrighetto to Colorado for winger Andreas Martinsen.
Martinsen gives the team more size and grit which seems to be the theme of the day with the earlier acquisitions of Steve Ott and Dwight King. The 26 year old Norwegian stands 6’3 and 220 pounds and led all Colorado forwards in hits with 146. Offensively, he won’t bring much of anything to the table as he has just seven points in 55 games this season. In his career, he only has seven goals and 11 assists in 110 games.
Andrighetto being dealt should come as no surprise. He cleared waivers earlier this season and while he was a prolific scorer with St. John’s, the production never came with Montreal. He has eight points in 27 games with the Habs this season but had been playing in a fourth line role when he was in the lineup and given his size and playing style, it was far from ideal spot for him.
At first glance, it seems unlikely that Martinsen will play a big role with Montreal. It’s conceivable that he will basically replace Andrighetto as a press box regular and that’s about it.
Both players have their contracts expiring at the end of the season. Martinsen makes $640,000 and will be a UFA in July while Andrighetto earns $650,000 and will be a restricted free agent in the summer.
Martinsen’s Stats:
Andrighetto’s Stats: