COYOTES LAND THOMAS FROM MTL FOR LESSIO
The Arizona Coyotes acquired winger Christian Thomas from the Montreal Canadiens for winger Lucas Lessio.
What does it give the Arizona Coyotes
This is a classic swap of two players in need of a change of scenery in order to jump-start their pro careers. Thomas has 26 career NHL games to his credit, including five with Montreal this season (0-2-2). He might get a better shot at cracking the NHL lineup at right wing in Arizona.
What does it give the Montreal Canadiens
The Habs seemed reluctant to give Thomas a legitimate chance to stick with the big club, possibly due to his lack of size (5-9, 176 pounds). So, they'll now turn to Lessio, who has more size than Thomas and virtually the same NHL experience (29 games). He could play on the fourth line later in 2015-16.
Fantasy impact
Thomas has fantasy dark horse appeal, but he is starting to run out of time to show what he is made of. Lessio is more likely to stick in the NHL over the long haul, but his fantasy value is actually less than Thomas (he is more of a bottom-six forward).
