Canadiens deal Nash to Panthers for DeSantis in minor-league trade

MONTREAL - The Montreal Canadiens formalized an exchange of minor-league defencemen on Monday when they sent Brendon Nash to the Florida Panthers for Jason DeSantis.

Nash had been "reassigned" to the San Antonio Rampage and DeSantis to the Hamilton Bulldogs last week. The trade made the move official.

The 26-year old DeSantis had three goals and eight assists in 32 AHL games this season. The five-foot-11 rearguard from Oxford, Mich. has 16 goals and 65 assists in 183 career AHL contests.

Nash, 25, signed with Montreal as a free agent out of Cornell University in 2010. Mainly a power-play point man, the Kamloops, B.C., native played two NHL games in 2010-11.

He missed all of last season with a shoulder injury. Nash had a goal and seven assists in 26 AHL games this season.