The New Jersey Devils announced today the acquisition of forward Nathan Legare from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Utica Comets forward Arnaud Durandeau. Legare will report to the club’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate in Utica. The announcement was made by President/General Manager Tom Fitzgerald and Utica General Manager/New Jersey Devils Senior Vice President, Assistant General Manager Dan MacKinnon.
Legare, 23, recorded nine points (6g-3a) and 42 PIMs in 39 games with Montreal’s AHL affiliate the Laval Rocket this season. Since making his AHL debut with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2021-22, he has appeared in 164 career regular-season games and earned 44 career points (21g-23a) along with 148 PIMs. The 6-foot, 210-pound forward has scored four shorthanded goals this season, which is tied for second in the AHL and led Laval. Legare was also one of seven Rocket skaters who has earned two, or more, game-winning goals this season.
Born on January 11, 2001, Pittsburgh selected Legare in the third round, 74th overall, in the 2019 NHL Draft, and he played for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton from 2021-22 to 2022-23. A native of Montreal, Quebec, he played four seasons in the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) from 2017-18 to 2020-21. He dressed for Baie-Comeau Drakkar from 2017-18 to 2020-21 before he was acquired by the Val-d’Or Foreurs in his final QMJHL season. Legare served as team captain for Baie-Comeau between 2019 and 2021. He also led the team in goals during the 2018-19 (45) and 2019-20 (35) seasons.
Legare represented Canada on the international stage at the 2018-19 International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) 2018-19 U18 World Junior Championship (WJC). He recorded four goals and was named an alternate captain at the 2018-19 WJC.
Durandeau, 25, was acquired from the New York Islanders in a minor-league deal on Nov. 26, 2023, in exchange for Tyce Thompson. Durandeau played in 26 games for Utica this season and tallied 14 points (3g-11a).
