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Avalanche Trade Colin Smith To Maple Leafs for Shawn Matthias

With just four games remaining until the deadline, trade season has officially begun in Avalanche land.

By RyanMurphyMHH
Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Early Sunday Afternoon, Darren Dreger TSN's Hockey Insider reported Shawn Matthias had been dealt to the Colorado Avalanche from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for AHL San Antonio Rampage forward Colin Smith and a 2016 4th Round pick.

Matthias, 28, was a 47th overall selection in the 2006 draft by the Detroit Red Wings who made his debut for the Florida Panthers the following year before getting his first extended look from the team in 2009. The 6'4" 220 pound center iceman had his best NHL season last year with the Vancouver Canucks, scoring 18 goals and chipping in with 9 assists in 78 games. Matthias should add experience and a bit of scoring to a thin bottom-six unit that's been struggling to find consistent play and depth from younger players. Matthias is an unrestricted free agent at the completion of this season.

Colin Smith was a 7th Round selection of the Colorado Avalanche in the 2012 draft. He made his profession debut for the Lake Erie Monsters in 2013, scoring 34 points in 76 games. The Avs called him up during a one-game stint in 2014, but he did not register a point. He has 34 points in 54 games this season with the San Antonio Rampage, including 13 goals and 21 assists. Smith will be a free agent at the conclusion of this season himself. His inclusion in the deal was necessary to free up a contract spot for Matthias.

The official Colorado Avalanche twitter account reports Matthias will report to the team in Denver following their game in Vancouver:

Matthias has played a mostly 3rd or 4th-line role for much of his career, but he's done so at a pretty significant scoring rate. His first double-digit scoring season was in 2011 with the Panthers and would go on to put 14 in the net the following year. After being traded to Vancouver with goalie Jacob Markstrom in late-2014, he would go on to have his best season yet -- scoring 18 goals, tied for 3rd on the team with Henrik Sedin.

Matthias HERO

More to come as it develops.