FESTERLING FOR MACINTYRE
The Atlanta Thrashers acquired defenseman Brett Festerling from the Montreal Canadiens for goaltender Drew MacIntyre.
What does it give the Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta has mostly been a seller at this trade deadline, but that's actually not the case here. They move an expiring deal here (in MacIntyre) to pick up the still-young and somewhat-promising Festerling. At the very least Festerling will be a solid sixth or seventh defenseman going forward, and an inexpensive one at that. Best-case scenario: he develops into a quality leader on the blueline down the line (which may well happen considering the opportunities Atlanta gives its youngsters).
What does it give the Montreal Canadiens
MacIntyre has proven himself impressively at the AHL level the past few seasons and at 27 is just entering his prime as a goalie. Some recent meltdowns by backup Alex Auld necessitated the move to bring in more depth in the crease behind Carey Price, and MacIntyre has some nice sleeper appeal should he get the opportunities down the stretch (or even in the playoffs, if need be). Even better, his tiny contract comes off the books after this season. Festerling wasn't playing much so won't be missed much by the Habs.
Fantasy impact
