Canadiens Acquire James Wisniewski from NY Islanders

The Montreal Canadiens announced today that they have acquired defenseman James Wisniewski from the New York Islanders in exchange for a second round pick in the 2011 Entry Draft and a conditional fifth round pick in the 2012 Entry Draft. The second round pick was a compensatory pick since the Canadiens did not sign former first round pick David Fisher. In 32 games so far this season, Wisniewski has three goals and 18 assists for 21 points and 18 penalty minutes. In 286 career NHL games with the Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks, and New York Islanders, he has 20 goals and 98 assists for 118 points and 282 penalty minutes. This is a decent move for the Canadiens, as they will get a new power play quarterback on defense to fill the void left by Andrei Markov after he sustained a season-ending knee injury in November. Wisniewski will bring lots of skill to the power play and penalty kill, plenty of toughness, and some offensive skill to the blueline. He should be a good addition to the Canadiens' roster.