Montreal Canadiens Lose Defenceman To Ducks On Waivers

The Montreal Canadiens had too many healthy defencemen on their NHL roster, leading to a decision to send Gustav Lindstrom to the AHL, in hopes that he’d join the team’s AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket.

Lindstrom, 25, required waivers to complete the AHL assignment.

But on the heels of a trade that saw the Anaheim Ducks send defenceman Jamie Drysdale to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for prospect Cutter Gauthier, the Ducks were short a defenceman, particularly a right-handed defenceman.

MUST READ: Canadiens Turned Down Cutter Gauthier Trade With The Flyers

And so Anaheim claimed Lindstrom off waivers from the Canadiens, putting an end to his 14-game tenure with Montreal.

Anaheim claims Gustav Lindstrom off waivers from Montreal.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) January 10, 2024

Brass Tacks

Acquired in the trade that saw Jeff Petry head to the Detroit Red Wings, Lindstrom had managed to score three goals in his fourteen appearances with the Habs, a rather impressive level of production given that he had scored just two goals in his previous 128 games.

He even scored against his former team while playing at the Bell Centre, a feat that was made more wholesome given that his parents were in attendance.

And while his offensive prowess was noticeable, Lindstrom produced some of the worst numbers in the league during his time with the Habs.

While he was on the ice the Montreal Canadiens barely controlled over 40 percent of the shots, expected goals, and high-danger chances. In other words, he was a significant drag on the team’s possession metrics.

With that in mind, losing Lindstrom shouldn’t impact much in the organization. The Rocket could use some reinforcements on the right side of their blueline, but more than anything, the claim opens a very important contract spot which can be used by general manager Kent Hughes at the deadline in trade negotiations. Salary cap space and contracts play a big part at the trade deadline, particularly if the contending team is looking to move players with just one year left on their contract.

All Monreal Canadiens statistics are 5v5 unless otherwise noted. Via Natural Stat Trick.