MONTREAL - Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin announced on Friday that the team has acquired Eric Staal from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for the club's third and fifth-round picks in the 2021 NHL Draft. The Sabres will retain $1.625 million of Staal's salary.

Staal, 36, suited up for 32 games with Buffalo this season, recording three goals and seven assists. In 17 seasons in the NHL with the Carolina Hurricanes, Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers and the Sabres, the 6'04'' and 195 lbs left-handed centerman amassed 1,031 points (439 goals, 592 assists) in 1,272 regular season games. A Stanley Cup champion with Carolina in 2006, Staal has 51 points, including 21 goals, in 62 playoff contests over the course of his NHL career.