The Montreal Canadiens have acquired forward Christian Dvorak from the Arizona Coyotes after declining to match the Carolina Hurricane’s one-year, $6.1-million US offer to restricted free agent Jesperi Kotkaniemi on Saturday.
25-year-old Dvorak finished sixth on the Coyotes with 31 points (17 goals, 14 assists) in 56 games last season.
He had 146 points (67 goals, 79 assists) in 302 career games since Arizona drafted him in the second round in 2014.
“Carolina has used a tool available to them in the collective bargaining agreement and we accept that decision,” Montreal Canadiens’ GM Marc Bergevin said in a statement.
Kotkaniemi, a six-foot-two, 201-pound forward, was taken third overall by Montreal in the 2018 NHL draft. He had five goals and 15 assists in 56 regular-season games last season, adding five goals and three assists in 19 playoff contests.
More to come…