Adrian Dater is reporting that the Colorado Avalanche have traded veteran defenseman Scott Hannan to the Washington Capitals for forward Tomas Fleischmann.
Fleischman, 26, has played in all 23 games for Washington this season, with 4 goals and 6 assists. He tallied 51 points last season for the Capitals and adds depth at forward, something the Avalanche have desperately needed this season due to widespread injury. Fleischmann is under contract for $2.5 million this season, and will be an unrestricted free agent after the season ends.
While the trade for a forward is no surprise, the fact that Colorado has given up Scott Hannan does come as a surprise. Signed as a free agent in 2007, Hannan never quite lived up to his contract. His cap hit this season was $4.5 million, meaning Colorado was able to slice almost $2 million from their payroll this season, paying for the additions of Ryan O’Byrne and Matt Hunwick, both added through trade this season.
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