Avalanche Acquire Shawn Belle from Oilers for Kevin Montgomery

The Colorado Avalanche announced today that they have acquired defenseman Shawn Belle from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for defenseman Kevin Montgomery. Shawn Belle will qualify for group six unrestricted free agency this summer, while Montgomery will qualify for restricted free agency this summer. In five games this season with the Oilers, Belle has no points. He has also appeared in 39 games with Oklahoma City of the AHL, scoring three goals and 17 assists for 20 points and 61 penalty minutes. Montgomery has played in 51 games this season with Lake Erie of the AHL, scoring two goals and 17 assists for 19 points. He has yet to appear in an NHL game. This is really just a depth move for both teams, as both players will likely spend the rest of the season in the minors. Belle will bring plenty of toughness to Lake Erie's blueline, while Montgomery will bring some puckmoving skill to Oklahoma City.

Oilers Re-Sign Dubnyk, Jacques, Add Belle

The Edmonton Oilers have announced that they have re-signed goaltender Devan Dubnyk to a two-year contract worth $1.6 million and re-signed left wing Jean-Francois Jacques to a one-year contract. The team also announced that they have signed free agent defenseman Shawn Belle to a one-year, two-way contract. Dubnyk's deal averages out to $800,000 per season, while the financial terms of Jacques and Belle's contracts were not disclosed. Not bad depth signings for the Oilers, as Dubnyk has lots of size and the potential to become a starting goaltender, while Jacques plays with lots of grit and toughness. Belle is a very physical defenseman, but his lack of NHL experience will likely keep him in the minors for most of next season.

Canadiens Re-Sign Forward Latendresse & Defenseman Belle

The Montreal Canadiens have announced that they have re-signed left wing Guillaume Latendresse to a one-year contract worth $803,000 and defenseman Shawn Belle to a one-year, two-way contract. Financial terms of Belle’s deal were not disclosed. In 56 games last season for the Canadiens, Latendresse scored 14 goals and 12 assists for 26 points. In 209 career games, all with the Canadiens, he has 46 goals and 36 assists for 82 points. Belle did not appear in any NHL games last season, instead playing in 60 games with the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate in Hamilton, scoring three goals and 10 assists for 13 points and 93 penalty minutes. The Latendresse signing is a decent one for the team, as he possesses plenty of offensive skill, especially on the power play, and is a decent passer. As a top-nine forward for the Canadiens next season, Latendresse will be an effective player. The Belle signing is really nothing more than a depth move, though he does provide plenty of toughness on defense. The Canadiens already have sufficient depth on their defense for next season, so Belle will likely spend another season in the minors.