The Montreal Canadiens traded backup goalie Al Montoya to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a conditional 2018 fourth-round draft pick Thursday night.
Montoya has not played a game since a Nov. 4 contest against the Winnipeg Jets due to a concussion he sustained. In four appearances with Montreal this season the 32-year-old was 2-1-0 with a 3.77 goals-against average and .863 save percentage.
The Canadiens claimed Antti Niemi off waivers from the Florida Panthers in November for added depth in the crease when Carey Price was out with a lower-body injury and the Vantaa, Finland native has performed admirably when called upon.
Montoya has a $1,062,500 salary cap hit and is under contract through the 2018-19 campaign. He went 10-7-4 in 21 starts in a Canadiens uniform after signing with the team as a free agent in 2016.
Laurent Brossoit, the Oilers’ current backup netminder, is a pending restricted free agent who has struggled this season. In 13 appearances this season, Brossoit is 3-7-1 with a .886 save percentage and 3.22 GAA.
Moments after the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Habs traded backup goaltender Al Montoya to the Edmonton Oilers.
The Canadiens traded goaltender Al Montoya to the Edmonton Oilers tonight, in return for a conditional 4th round pick in 2018.
DETAILS -> https://t.co/EuJejjBGN4. — Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) January 5, 2018
In exchange, the Canadiens will receive a conditional fourth-round pick in 2018. The conditions were not disclosed.
UPDATE: The conditions are now known. The Canadiens will receive the fourth-round selection only if Montoya plays seven games for the Oilers, otherwise it’s a fifth-round pick.
The condition on the pick in the Al Montoya trade: The #habs get a 2018 fourth-rounder if he plays seven more games this regular season.
If not, they get a fifth-rounder. — Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) January 5, 2018
Montoya must register at least 30 minutes of playing time for a game to count toward that total:
Choix conditionnel : si Montoya joue 7 matchs de 30 mins ou plus, les #Habs obtiendront un choix de 4e tour. Sinon ce sera un choix de 5e. — L.A. Lariviere (@L_A_theRiver) January 5, 2018
The trade comes on the same day the Mikhail Sergachev-Jonathan Drouin conditions were met, with no picks being transferred after Sergachev played his 40th game of the season.
Montoya is still recovering from a concussion that has sidelined him since November. He's only suited up in four games for the Canadiens this season, posting a 2-1-0 record with a 3.77 goals-against-average and an .863 save percentage. The backup joined Montreal as a free agent in July 2016.
The Oilers will be the sixth team the 32-year old has suited up for in his career. Prior to joining the Canadiens, Montoya played for the Florida Panthers, the Winnipeg Jets, the New York Islanders, and the Phoenix Coyotes.
The Montreal Canadiens have sent goaltender Al Montoya to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a conditional fourth-round pick in 2018.
Montreal announced the deal Thursday night shortly after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in a shootout.
The 32-year-old Montoya, who hasn't played since suffering a concussion on Nov. 4 in Winnipeg, dressed in four games this season for Montreal. He posted a 2-1-0 record with a 3.77 goals-against average and an .863 save percentage.
Montoya has appeared in 159 career games with the Canadiens, Florida Panthers, Winnipeg Jets, New York Islanders and the Phoenix Coyotes, with a 65-47-22 record, a 2.63 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage, along with seven shutouts.
As the Edmonton Oilers were trying to put an end to their four-game losing streak Thursday night, the team announced it had acquired some help in the crease via a trade with the Montreal Canadiens.
The Oilers picked up veteran goaltender Al Montoya from the Habs in exchange for a conditional fourth-round draft pick in 2018.
The #Oilers have acquired goaltender Al Montoya from @CanadiensMTL in exchange for a conditional fourth-round draft pick in 2018. pic.twitter.com/XuBoTOu9Yh — Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) January 5, 2018
The 32-year-old netminder has a 65-47-22 record combined with a 2.63 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage in 159 career National Hockey League games with the Canadiens, Panthers, Jets, Islanders and Coyotes.
The Chicago native was a first-round draft pick for the New York Rangers in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.
In the few games he’s played with the Habs this season, Montoya’s numbers are well below normal by his standards. Despite earning two wins in four games played, Montoya is sporting a 3.77 goals-against average and a .863 save percentage.
READ MORE: Habs sign goaltender Al Montoya to two-year contract extension
Last January, the Canadiens signed Montoya to a two-year contract extension worth a reported annual average value of US$1.065 million. He first joined the Canadiens as a free agent on July 1, 2016.
Before the new year, the Oilers’ goaltending depth was tested when starter Cam Talbot missed six games due to injury. Backup goaltender Laurent Brossoit posted a 3-3 record in Talbot’s absence at the time.
READ MORE: Cam Talbot activated by Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers were playing Pacific Division rivals the Anaheim Ducks at Rogers Place on Thursday night when the team announced the trade on Twitter.
READ MORE: Edmonton Oilers meet Ducks for 1st time since playoff battle
-With a file from The Canadian Press
Watch below: Some videos from Global News’ coverage of the Edmonton Oilers during the 2017-18 season.
