Denis Malgin was to the Colorado Avalanche by the Toronto Maple Leafs Dryden Hunt on Monday.
Malgin had four points (two goals, two assists) in 23 games with the Maple Leafs this season. The 25-year-old forward was traded to Toronto by the Florida Panthers for forward Mason Marchment on Feb. 19, 2020.
“I don’t know a lot about him,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “I know he’s a smaller (5-foot-9, 182 pounds), speedy guy with good skills. Can skate, so hopefully he’s potentially a guy that can fit into our system and help produce for us.”
Malgin, selected by Florida in the fourth round (No. 102) of the 2015 NHL Draft, has 64 points (30 goals, 34 assists) in 215 NHL games, including an NHL career-best 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists). in 51 games for the Panthers in 2017-18. He can be a restricted free agent after this season.
“I coach the players that they give me,” Bednar said. “Occasionally, they’ll say, ‘Hey, we want you to look at this guy and see if he can fit.’ I looked a little bit at Malgin. He’s a veteran guy, can play center and wing. He’s got good skill, has good pace to his game. I think we have more opportunity for him than probably Toronto does at this point.”
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Hunt is going to his third team this season. The 27-year-old forward was claimed off waivers by Colorado from the New York Rangers on Oct. 20. He scored one goal in 25 games for the Avalanche and one in three with the Rangers. He does not have an assist this season.
“My understanding is Hunt will travel out here tomorrow and be available for our practice before the Philadelphia game (Thursday),” Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said. “Any time you acquire a player, you want to give him some time to get comfortable, but he’s been playing regularly in the League so I certainly think he will get an opportunity.”
Hunt has 42 points (14 goals, 28 assists) in 193 NHL games for the Panthers, Arizona Coyotes, Rangers and Avalanche. His best season was last season, when he had 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 76 games for the Rangers. He signed with Florida as an undrafted free agent on March 2, 2016, and can become an unrestricted free agent after this season.
“Not overly familiar with what he’s done this season, but I’ve coached against him a lot in the American (Hockey) League and at times in the NHL,” Keefe said. “Guy plays hard, pretty simple game, physical and competitive. Not a lot has happened for him offensively in the NHL but he has scored and been a good player at the AHL level, protects the puck well and all those kind of things. So to that end, he brings a little different element to the depth of the team.”
The Maple Leafs (19-7-2) host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; TSN4, BSSUNX, ESPN+, SN NOW). The Avalanche (16-11-2) host the New York Islanders on Monday (9 p.m. ET; ALT, MSGSN, ESPN+, SN NOW).
“They’re beat up a little bit on the back end, but they’ve been healthy up front,” Bednar said of the Maple Leafs. “And I think also it’s likely ‘Huntsy’ provides a little bit of something of maybe what Toronto’s looking for. He’s got a good physical presence to his game. He’s a responsible guy, won’t cheat on the work ethic side of it. There’s a heaviness to Huntsy’s game and a responsible part of his game that’s attractive.”
Toronto is without defensemen Jordie Benn (upper body), Jake Muzzin (neck), Morgan Rielly (lower body), Carl Dahlstrom (shoulder) and Victor Mete (upper body).
NHL.com independent correspondents Dave McCarthy and Ryan Boulding contributed to this report
.