With 12 hours to spare before the NHL’s holiday roster freeze, the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired winger Dryden Hunt from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Denis Malgin.
Hunt and Malgin were actually teammates for parts of three seasons in the Florida Panthers organization. Meanwhile, Hunt moves on to his third team this season after starting the year with the New York Rangers before being claimed by the Avs on Oct. 20.
This is a stylistic swap, a straight-up winger-for-winger deal for two players on expiring contracts. Hunt, 27, is two years older than Malgin, who struggled to finish his chances in a Maple Leafs uniform despite being given an opportunity at times in Toronto’s top six.
Malgin has collected two goals and four points on the season, while Hunt has just one goal. Hunt brings a bit more size to the Leafs lineup, a physical element as well as a left shot. He was a noted scorer in junior hockey, posting 58 goals and 116 points during his overage season with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors, but that has yet to translate to the NHL level.
The NHL’s holiday roster freeze kicks in at 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday night and lasts until 12:01 a.m. ET on Dec. 28, prohibiting trades, waiver movement and most other roster transactions with the exception of emergency recalls.
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