NEW YORK — The Montreal Canadiens have acquired defenceman Nikita Nesterov from the Tampa Bay Lightning in a deal for defenceman Jonathan Racine and a sixth-round pick in the June draft.
Nesterov had three goals and nine assists in 35 games for the Lightning this season. The 23-year-old Russian, selected by Tampa Bay in the fifth round of the 2011 draft, has eight goals and 20 assists in 119 games.
Racine, a third-round pick by Florida in 2011, had two penalty minutes in one game for the Panthers in the 2013-14 season. Acquired by Montreal last October, the 23-year-old had three assists in 26 games for St.