Trade by Canadiens leads to shuffle on IceCaps defence

The deal sees the Canadiens acquiring rearguard Nikita Nesterov from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for defenceman Jonathan Racine and a sixth-round draft pick in 2017.
Racine had been playing with the IceCaps, but his place on the farm team’s roster was immediately filled when Montreal assigned blueliner Ryan Johnston to St. John’s after the trade.
Johnston had played seven games for Montreal, with no points and a minus-three rating. The second-year pro had a goal and six assists in 23 games with St. John’s before his recall.
This marks the second time this season that the 23-year-old Racine has been traded. The Canadiens picked him up in October from the Florida Panthers in a deal for forward Tim Bozon.
With the IceCaps this season he had three assists and 58 penalty minutes in 26 games, along with plus-two rating.
Both Racine and Nesterov are in line to become restricted free agents in the off-season.
Nesterov, also 23,has three goals and nine assists in 35 games for the Lightning this season. In 119 career NHL games, all with Tampa Bay, the 5-11, 190-pound Russian has scored eight goals and 20 assists while registering 77 penalty minutes.
While Johnston could be assigned to St. John’s without clearing waivers, it will be interesting to see how Montreal adjusts should it wind up with a fully healthy defensive corps. Including Nesterov and the injured Andrei Markov and Greg Pateryn, the Canadiens have nine defenceman, all who would need to clear waivers in order to be sent to St. John’s.