Canadiens acquire Filip Cederqvist from Sabres for future considerations

The Montreal Canadiens announced on Thursday that the team had acquired forward Filip Cederqvist from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for future considerations.

Cederqvist, 23, has played 19 games with the AHL’s Rochester Americans this season, scoring one goal and three assists for four points. In 74 career games with the Americans, Cederqvist has 10 goals and 14 assists for 24 points. The six-foot-three forward also has three assists in eight playoff games.

Taken by the Sabres in the fifth round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Cederqvist spent three seasons between Swedish Hockey League and the Hockeyettan, Sweden’s third highest professional league. In 2022-23, he joined the Americans, scoring nine goals and 11 assists for 20 points in 55 games.

The Canadiens are 17-17-6 with 40 points, sixth in the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division. It’s been a tough season for a Canadiens club with a minus-27 goal differential, but their record is remarkably better than year, where the Canadiens went 31-45-6. They’ve started January with a 2-1-1 record, most recently losing 3-2 in overtime to the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday.

Team captain Nick Suzuki leads the team with 12 goals and 22 assists for 34 points in 40 games, followed by Cole Caufield with 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points. Mike Matheson leads all defensemen in scoring with six goals and 21 assists for 27 points.

The club starts a three-game home stand on Thursday, hosting the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, followed by the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday before wrapping it up against the Colorado Avalanche on Jan. 15.