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.
