Andreas Martinsen traded to the Montreal Canadiens

Andreas Martinsen, an impending free agent, has been traded to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Sven Andrighetto, a 23-year-old 5’9” 180 pound right wing from Switzerland.

Martinsen is a 26-year-old Norwegian, who signed withthe Avalanche out of the German league prior to the 2015-16 season. He quickly made an impression as a heavy hitter with solid skating ability, who could compliment middle-six lines, but has fallen out of favor recently as they’ve struggled in the standings. He will likely play a similar role in Montreal, supplementing a fourth line hoping to get bigger and stronger for their push for the playoffs.

In Andrighetto, the Avalanche receive the Canadiens 2013 third-round draft pick. He’s played just 27 NHL games this season, registering two goals and eight assists while averaging just 11:29 of ice time per game. He’s played an additional 20 games with their AHL club, the St. Johns Ice Caps, putting up eight goals and 14 assists.

Avalanche are getting a player with significantly more skill and offensive upside. Andrighetto, in his brief professional career, has demonstrated a noticeable amount of possession ability and could get a look on Colorado’s top lines before the season is over.