ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The New Jersey Devils have acquired Kurtis MacDermid in a trade with the Colorado Avalanche, giving them some much-needed toughness as they try to stay in the playoff race in the Eastern Conference.
New Jersey sent a 2024 seventh-round pick and the rights to unsigned 23-year-old forward Zakhar Bardakov to complete the trade announced by both teams Friday.
MacDermid, who turns 30 on March 25, has played very sparingly this season with the Avalanche. He has averaged just over five minutes of ice time in 29 games, scoring two goals and racking up 23 penalty minutes.
At 6-foot-5 and 233 pounds, MacDermid can play forward or defence.
The Devils went into their game Friday night at Anaheim trailing Philadelphia by five points for third place in the Metropolitan Division, and Tampa Bay by six points for the second wild card in the East.
Bardakov, a seventh-rounder in 2021, is playing in the KHL this season.
