Deadline Day: Lalande moves from QC to Crunch

The Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired goaltender Kevin Lalande from the Calgary Flames in exchange for a fourth round pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, and assigned him to the Syracuse Crunch, Columbus’ American Hockey League affiliate, club General Manager Scott Howson announced March 4.

Lalande, 22, has gone 4-1-1 with a 1.94 goals-against average, .929 save percentage and one shutout in six games with Quad City of the American Hockey League this season, along with posting a 9-8-0 record with a 2.39 goals-against average, .925 save percentage and three shutouts in 21 games with Las Vegas of the East Coast Hockey League.

The Kingston, Ont., native has a 6-4-1 mark with a 2.66 goals-against average, .908 save percentage and one shutout in 13 career AHL games. He has gone 26-13-4 with a 2.20 goals-against average, .929 save percentage and six shutouts in 48 career ECHL games, including going 13-6 with a 2.52 goals-against average and three shutouts in 20 playoff games in 2007-08, leading Las Vegas to the Kelly Cup championship.

Prior to his professional career, Calgary’s fifth pick, 128th overall, in the 2005 Entry Draft, Lalande spent four seasons with Belleville of the Ontario Hockey League. He combined to go 67-47-11 with a 3.01 goals-against average, .916 save percentage and seven shutouts in 131 career games. He ranked in the top five in the OHL in save percentage each season from 2004-07 and was selected to the 2005-06 All-Star Team.