Habs Get Mara

			2011 Season				2011	Remaining
To Montreal	Position	Age	GP	G	A	P	Cap Hit	Years	Cap Hit
Paul Mara	Defense	31	33	1	1	2	$750,000	0	UFA
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To Anaheim	Position	Age	GP	G	A	P	Cap Hit	Years	Cap Hit
2012 5th Round Draft Pick

Looks like the Canadiens have made a deal to help shore up their blueline for the stretch drive, as they have acquired defenseman Paul Mara from the Anaheim Ducks for a 5th round draft pick this coming Summer.

Mara has been the odd-man out in many games for the Ducks, being a healthy scratch for a large number of games in the 2011 season.  Mara's numbers are down considerably from some of his better years, but he should be able to give the Canadiens some kind of veteran presence for the stretch run, even if it is as a 6th or 7th defenseman role.

For a defenseman who hasn't seen a great deal of action or enough time on the scoresheet, a 5th round pick is not a bad return for Mara, who likely will continue to play as the odd-man out with Francois Beauchemin around.

In the selection sheet pool, Mara is a member of Box 13, but with 2 points on the season to date, there likely won't be any more interest out of him this year.  There is no guarantee that his numbers will get better quickly, so I would likely just take this trade with a grain of salt.  This is definitely a deal for depth in Montreal.