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Montreal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins exchange minor-league fowrards

Feb 20, 2020 | 11:59 AM

MONTREAL — The Montreal Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins have completed a trade of minor-league forwards.

The Habs acquired Joseph Blandisi and Jacob Lucchini from the Penguins in exchange for Riley Barber and Phil Varone.

Blandisi and Lucchini both will report to the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League.

The 25-year-old Blandisi has split time between the Penguins and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL this season. He had two goals and three assists in 21 games with Pittsburgh and six goals and eight assists in 28 games with the Penguins’ AHL affiliate.

The five-foot-11, 187-pound native of Markham, Ont., has played 101 career NHL games with New Jersey, Anaheim and Pittsburgh.

Lucchini, a 24-year-old from Trail, B.C., had seven goals and eight assists in 53 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season.

Barber didn’t register a point in nine games with Montreal this season. He had 13 goals and 18 assists in 39 games for Laval.

Varone had four goals and 10 assists in 27 games with Laval.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 20, 2020.

The Canadian Press

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. Incorrect information about the players the Canadiens acquired appeared in a previous version