The Calgary Flames have traded forward Michael Frolik to the Buffalo Sabres for a 2020 fourth-round pick, the Sabres announced Thursday.

Buffalo shipped defenseman Marco Scandella to the Montreal Canadiens earlier Thursday in exchange for a 2020 fourth-round pick, which the Sabres then used to acquire Frolik.

Frolik joined the Flames as a free agent ahead of the 2015-16 campaign and is in the final year of a $21.5-million deal that carries $4.3-million annual cap hit.

The 31-year-old has five goals and five assists in 38 games this season. He's spent the majority of the year playing in Calgary's bottom six, averaging 11:56 of ice time per game.

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The Montreal Canadiens have acquired defenseman Marco Scandella from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2020, the team announced Thursday.

Scandella will aim to provide a steadying presence on the Habs' blue line. The 10-year veteran isn't flashy, but the Sabres were able to control 55% of the high-danger scoring chances with Scandella on the ice this season, according to Natural Stat Trick. Montreal ranks 18th in the league in goals against in 2019-20.

Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin could also flip Scandella, a pending unrestricted free agent, at the trade deadline if his club falls out of playoff contention.

For the Sabres, dealing Scandella helps solve the team's logjam on the back end. It also created the necessary cap space to acquire forward Michael Frolik from the Calgary Flames shortly after moving Scandella.

Buffalo used the same draft pick - a fourth-rounder in 2020 - it acquired in the Scandella deal to land Frolik, who's also a pending UFA. This essentially makes it a one-for-one trade for the Sabres.

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The Montreal Canadiens have acquired defenseman Marco Scandella from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2020, the team announced Thursday.

Scandella will aim to provide a steadying presence on the Habs' blue line. The 10-year veteran isn't flashy, but the Sabres were able to control 55% of the high-danger scoring chances with Scandella on the ice this season, according to Natural Stat Trick. Montreal ranks 18th in the league in goals against in 2019-20.

Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin could also flip Scandella, a pending unrestricted free agent, at the trade deadline if his club falls out of playoff contention.

For the Sabres, dealing Scandella helps solve the team's logjam on the back end. It also created the necessary cap space to acquire forward Michael Frolik from the Calgary Flames shortly after moving Scandella.

Buffalo used the same draft pick - a fourth-rounder in 2020 - it acquired in the Scandella deal to land Frolik, who's also a pending UFA. This essentially makes it a one-for-one trade for the Sabres.

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The Montreal Canadiens traded defenseman Mike Reilly to the Ottawa Senators for a 2021 fifth-round pick and forward Andrew Sturtz, the team announced Thursday.

Reilly has been with the Canadiens since 2018 when he was acquired from the Minnesota Wild. He's appeared in 14 games this season, recording four assists.

The 26-year-old is in the first season of a two-year, $3-million contract he signed with Montreal this summer. The Canadiens are not retaining any of his salary, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

Sturtz, 25, was undrafted and has yet to appear in an NHL game. He's spent the last three seasons with the AHL's Belleville Senators, recording four goals and 11 points in 35 games.

Montreal also acquired defenseman Marco Scandella from the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday in exchange for a 2020 fourth-round pick.

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Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher is out indefinitely with a concussion, head coach Claude Julien told reporters Thursday, including Sportsnet's Eric Engels.

Gallagher suffered the injury during the second period of Tuesday's contest against the Carolina Hurricanes after falling and colliding headfirst with teammate Ben Chiarot's knee.

The 27-year-old winger did not come out for the third period.

Gallagher ranks second on the club in both goals (15) and points (32) through 40 contests this season. He hasn't missed a game since the 2016-17 campaign.

The Alberta native joins core forwards Joel Armia, Jonathan Drouin, and Paul Byron on injured reserve.

The Canadiens have lost three straight games and sit four points back of Thursday night's opponent, the Tampa Bay Lightning, for third place in the Atlantic Division.

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Canada is off to the semifinals at the 2020 world juniors after defeating Slovakia 6-1 on Thursday.

Since the tournament reseeds after each round, Canada's next opponent is unclear until the rest of the day's games are completed. If top-ranked Sweden defeats the Czech Republic, Canada will play the winner of USA-Finland for a chance to advance to the gold-medal game.

Canada got off to a rough start, as forward Nolan Foote was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for a head hit 53 seconds into the contest. Slovakia was unable to convert on the power play and the Canadians took control from there, scoring once in the first period and adding four more goals in the second to put the game out of reach.

Alexis Lafreniere was productive in his return to the lineup after missing two games with a knee injury. The projected No. 1 pick in June's draft set up the opening goal, then added a tally of his own in the middle frame. Forwards Barrett Hayton and Dylan Cozens, along with defenseman Jamie Drysdale, each recorded two points in the victory as well.

Thursday's win improved Canada's record to 13-0-1 all-time versus Slovakia at the tournament.

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In the third edition of theScore's Norris Trophy Power Rankings, a former winner of the award cracks the top five for the first time.

5. Shea Weber

Where would the Montreal Canadiens be without Weber? The 34-year-old captain has been an absolute rock on a rather leaky blue line. Without Weber on the ice at five-on-five, the Habs' goal share is nearly 6% less, and their high-danger scoring chance share is almost 10% less. He's undoubtedly the team's MVP and remains one of the league's best defensemen.

4. Dougie Hamilton

Hamilton has appeared on every iteration of this list this season and cracked the top three in November. He's been a stalwart on the Carolina Hurricanes' blue line, leading the team in ice time, shots on goal, and plus/minus (for what it's worth). Hamilton has always been blessed with the ability to be one of the league's top blue-liners, but in his age-26 season, he's finally putting it all together.

3. Victor Hedman

Hedman makes his season debut on this list after a slow start. However, the 2018 Norris winner was red-hot in December, tallying 15 points in 14 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 6-foot-6 Swede has a lot of ground to make up, but with a strong supporting cast that underachieved in the first half of the season, he's more than capable of going on a run.

2. Roman Josi

For the third time in a row, Josi appears in this list's second spot. After signing an eight-year, $72.5-million extension early in the season, the Nashville Predators captain has not disappointed; he's on pace for career highs in goals, assists, and shots. If this were any other year, he'd likely be No. 1, but unfortunately for him, another defenseman is on the verge of making history.

1. John Carlson

Carlson nabs the top spot for the third straight month. The Washington Capitals rearguard is on pace for 100 points, which, frankly, is just silly. If he can pull it off, he'd be the first defenseman to do so since 1991-92 and the fourth blue-liner not named Bobby Orr or Paul Coffey - who did it a combined 11 times - to accomplish the feat.

Honorable mentions: Alex Pietrangelo (Blues), Cale Makar (Avalanche), Ryan Ellis (Predators)

(Advanced stats source: Natural Stat Trick)

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