Today, the New Jersey Devils proudly announced the strategic acquisition of forward Nathan Legare from the Montreal Canadiens, in a move that sees Utica Comets forward Arnaud Durandeau heading in the opposite direction. Legare is set to join the ranks of the club’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate in Utica, as confirmed by Tom Fitzgerald, President and General Manager of the New Jersey Devils, alongside Dan MacKinnon, General Manager of Utica and Senior Vice President, Assistant General Manager of the New Jersey Devils.
At 23 years old, Legare has demonstrated his prowess on the ice, amassing nine points (6 goals and 3 assists) and accruing 42 penalty minutes across 39 games with the Laval Rocket, Montreal’s AHL affiliate, this season. Since his AHL debut with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the 2021-22 season, Legare has participated in 164 regular-season games, securing 44 points (21 goals and 23 assists) and 148 penalty minutes. Standing at 6 feet and weighing 210 pounds, the forward has netted four shorthanded goals this season, a feat that not only places him second in the AHL but also marks him as a leading scorer for Laval. Furthermore, Legare is among the seven Rocket players to have scored two or more game-winning goals this season.
Born on January 11, 2001, and hailing from Montreal, Quebec, Legare was chosen by Pittsburgh in the third round, 74th overall, of the 2019 NHL Draft. He represented Wilkes-Barre/Scranton from the 2021-22 to the 2022-23 season. Prior to his professional career, Legare honed his skills in the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) over four seasons, from 2017-18 to 2020-21, initially with Baie-Comeau Drakkar before joining the Val-d’Or Foreurs in his final QMJHL season. Notably, he served as the captain of Baie-Comeau between 2019 and 2021 and led the team in goals during the 2018-19 (45 goals) and 2019-20 (35 goals) seasons.
On the international stage, Legare represented Canada at the International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) 2018-19 U18 World Junior Championship (WJC), where he scored four goals and served as an alternate captain.
Arnaud Durandeau, aged 25, joined the New Jersey Devils organization following a minor-league trade with the New York Islanders on November 26, 2023, which saw Tyce Thompson move in the opposite direction. During his tenure with Utica this season, Durandeau has played in 26 games, contributing 14 points (3 goals and 11 assists).
This strategic exchange underscores the New Jersey Devils’ commitment to strengthening their roster and underscores the dynamic nature of professional hockey, where talent and potential are continuously nurtured and developed.