Devils Acquire Maxim Noreau from Wild for David McIntyre

The New Jersey Devils announced today that they have acquired defenseman Maxim Noreau from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for center David McIntyre. Noreau will be eligible for restricted free agency on July 1, while McIntyre still has one more year left on his current contract. In five games last season with the Wild, Noreau had no points. He also appeared in 76 games with Houston of the AHL, scoring 10 goals and 44 assists for 54 points. McIntyre played in 78 games with Albany of the AHL last season, scoring 12 goals and 18 assists for 30 points. Not a bad depth move for the Devils, as Noreau has lots of offensive potential and can play with a little bit of toughness. There's a good chance he could make the team next season as a sixth or seventh defenseman. Noreau had fallen down the depth chart in Minnesota and would have had a hard time making the team given the number of offensive blueliners already on the roster. He will definitely get a chance to crack an NHL roster full time in New Jersey. As for the Wild, they get a little offensive depth in McIntyre, but he will likely spend all of next season in the minors.