(montrealcanadiens.com) – Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin announced Sunday the acquisition of forward Eric Tangradi from the Winnipeg Jets, in return for goaltender Peter Budaj and forward Patrick Holland. Tangradi will report to the Hamilton Bulldogs.
“I would like to thank Peter Budaj who has been an outstanding teammate and stood tall for us over the past three seasons. This transaction enables our team to make room for Dustin Tokarski. Eric Tangradi is a young veteran with 136 NHL games under his belt. He adds depth to our group up front and provides us with more options when we will need help coming from our affiliate team in Hamilton,” said Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin.
Tangradi, 25, recorded 6 points (3 goals and 3 assists) in 55 games with the Winnipeg Jets in 2013-14. The left winger was assessed 21 penalty minutes and averaged 8:38 of ice time per game. He was credited with 105 hits and 52 shots on goal.
Since he first joined the NHL back in 2009-10, Tangradi recorded 15 points (5 goals and 10 assists) in 136 regular season games. The 6′ 4” and 221 lbs forward also served 69 penalty minutes.
A native of Philadelphia, Pa., Tangradi was selected in the second round, 42nd overall, by the Anaheim Ducks at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. Prior to joining the Jets, he suited up with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL.
In four seasons with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Tangradi amassed 121 points (60 goals and 61 assists), including 23 powerplay goals and 10 game-winning tallies. Over that period he served 214 penalty minutes.
At the junior level Tangradi played 176 regular season games with the OHL’s Belleville Bulls from 2006 to 2009, recording 168 points (67 goals and 101 helpers). On the international stage, Tangradi played for Team USA at the World Junior Championship in 2009 at Ottawa recording 3 points (1 goal and 2 assists).
In 2013-14 with the Canadiens, Peter Budaj, 32, had a 10-8-3 record in 24 games with a 2.51 GAA and a .909 save percentage. He added one shutout on October 28 at New York against the Rangers. He was signed as a free agent on July 1, 2011. Budaj played in a total of 54 regular season games with the Canadiens. He posted a 23-16-9 record, with a 2.47 goals against average and a .910 save percentage.
The 22-year old Patrick Holland played 5 games with the Canadiens in 2013-14, including his first NHL game on October 22, when the Canadiens faced the Edmonton Oilers. With the Bulldogs last season, he tallied 17 points (6 goals and 11 assists) in 57 regular season games. He was acquired from the Calgary Flames on January 12, 2012 with forward Rene Bourque and a second round selection in 2013 (Zachary Fucale) in return for Mike Cammalleri and a fifth round pick in 2012 (Ryan Culkin).
