Michael Ryder is on his way back to the Montreal Canadiens.
TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported via Twitter on Tuesday that the Habs have acquired Ryder in a trade with the Dallas Stars. According to McKenzie, forward Erik Cole heads to Dallas in exchange for Ryder. It’s unclear at this point whether or not there are any more parts to this deal.
Ryder broke into the league with Montreal in 2003, where he set a career high in his first season with 63 points. He spent four seasons in total with the Habs, notching a pair of 30-goal seasons.
The 32-year-old also won a Stanley Cup in 2011 in his third and final season with the Bruins. Ryder then signed with the Dallas Stars following that Cup-winning season where he scored 35 goals and added 27 assists in his only full season in Texas. He has 6-8-14 totals in 19 games this season.
It won’t be long before Ryder is reintroduced to the Boston-Montreal rivalry. He’ll return to Boston on Sunday when the Bruins and Canadiens square off for the second time this season. That’s shaping up to be a big battle of longtime rivals, with a lot at stake. The Canadiens have opened some eyes this season, with 27 points in their first 19 games — the most in the Eastern Conference.
Cole signed a four-year deal worth $18 million in July of 2011 after spending most of his first nine seasons with Carolina. Cole scored 35 goals and had 26 assists last season, but he has just 3-3-6 totals in 19 games this season in Montreal.
