With a blueline corp ravaged by injury the Montreal Canadiens bolstered their depth today, plucking defenseman Jay Leach off re-entry waivers from the New Jersey Devils.
The Devils placed Leach, 30, on recall waivers hoping to shore up their own defense corps, which has lost regulars Paul Martin (broken arm) and Johnny Oduya (lower body injury). They'll likely have to call up someone else with Leach now gone.
Leach played 24 games with the Devils last season, notching one assist and 21 PIMs. At 6-4 and 220 lbs he'll provided some valuable size to a Canadiens blueline which has lost Andrei Markov, Hal Gill and Ryan O'Byrne to injury in recent weeks and has another regular in Jaroslav Spacek hobbled by an undisclosed injury.
As he was claimed off re-entry waivers his NHL salary (likely the league minimum of $500K) will be split between the two teams. Once the Canadiens start getting some of their injured d-men back Leach will likely be demoted, where he'll have to pass through waivers, giving the Devils a chance at getting him back.