It was announced today that the Montreal Canadiens have traded defenseman Raphael Diaz to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for forward Dale Weise.
Diaz, 25, recorded 11 assists with Montreal this season in 46 games. He was also third on the team with 100 blocked shots, and averaged 18:53 of ice time per game. Diaz will play for Switzerland in the Olympics next week,and will also be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Weise, 28, has scored 3 goals and added 9 assists in 44 games for the Canucks this season. He has only averaged 7:45 in playing time per game. Weise will be a restricted free agent this summer.
This is merely a depth move for both teams, as the Canadiens and Canucks have both struggled as of late. This move likely won’t change that for both teams, but it is a start. Expect both teams to be active in the trading market leading up to the March 5th trade deadline.
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