Montreal Canadiens trade Lars Eller to Capitals

The Montreal Canadiens selected Russiandefenceman Mikhail Sergachev with the ninth overall pick at the NHL
draft on Friday.

The 17-year-old played for the Windsor Spitfires in 2015-16,leading all Ontario Hockey League defenders with 17 goals in hisrookie season.

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He also had 40 assists and 57 points, good for third at hisposition.

Sergachev became only the second rookie ever to win the MaxKaminsky Trophy as the OHL's outstanding defenceman, and was alsothe second youngest ever to do so.

Sergachev skates well for his position and six-foot-two frame,and can be a dangerous offensive element on the back end.

He is the first defenceman to be selected in this year's draft.

It's been a noisy draft week for the Canadiens with speculationinvolving a trade of star defenceman P.K. Subban. General managerMarc Bergevin tried to put such talk to rest Thursday, insistingthat he was not actively shopping Subban.

The Canadiens acquired forward Andrew Shaw from the ChicagoBlackhawks earlier Friday for a pair of second round draft picks atthe draft.

Montreal also traded forward Lars Eller to the WashingtonCapitals for second round draft picks in 2017 and 2018.

The two draft selections acquired from Chicago are the 39th and45th overall picks at this year's draft.

Montreal unraveled last season after losing No. 1 goaltenderCarey Price to a knee injury. The club is looking to bolster theroster this season off-season, primarily by upgrading the top of theforward group.