Canadiens, Ducks busy at trade deadline

It was a busy day at the NHL bazaar with 24 trades, the most since a record 31 deals in 2010, consummated with 42 players and 21 draft picks changing hands in the 24 hours leading up to the 3pm ET (2000 GMT) deadline.

The Canadiens got to work early adding defenseman Jeff Petry and centre Brian Flynn while the Ducks grabbed the spotlight later in the day as they revamped their blueline bringing in three defensemen - James Wisniewski, Korbinian Holzer and Simon Depres - in three separate deals.

A puck moving defenseman, Petry was viewed as one of the top deadline day targets and the Canadiens were first to pull the trigger sending a second-round and a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2015 draft to the floundering Edmonton Oilers.

Montreal then used a 2016 fifth-round pick to add some offensive depth acquiring Flynn, who had a career-high 17 points (five goals) in 54 games with the Buffalo Sabres.

Despite sitting just two points back of the West leading Nashville Predators the Ducks were in buying mood adding some muscle and grit to their blueline.

The Ducks sent forwards Rene Bourque and William Karlsson and a second-round pick in 2015 to the Columbus Blue Jackets for the veteran Wisniewski and a third-round draft pick in 2015.

Anaheim also swapped defensemen with Toronto sending Eric Brewer and a fifth-round pick in 2016 to the Maple Leafs for Holzer and Ben Lovejoy to Pittsburgh Penguins for Despres.

The Boston Bruins, locked in a battle for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East were also active traders swinging a trio of deals.

Looking for some added scoring punch, the Bruins sent second-round picks in the 2015 and 2016 drafts to the Tampa Bay Lightning for forward Brett Connolly who has 12 goals and three assists in 50 games this season.

Boston also grabbed veteran forward Maxim Talbot, a Stanley Cup winner with the Penguins, from the Colorado Avalanche for Jordan Caron then swapped forwards with Minnesota sending Jared Knight to the Wild for Zack Phillips.