The Winnipeg Jets have traded goalie Steve Mason, right wing Joel Armia, a seventh-round pick in 2019, and a fourth-round pick in 2020 to the Montreal Canadiens for defenseman Simon Bourque.
 

The Canadiens acquire forward Joel Armia, goaltender Steve Mason, a seventh-round draft pick in 2019 and a fourth-round pick in 2020 from the Winnipeg Jets, in exchange for defenseman Simon Bourque.

DETAILS -> https://t.co/M9SeD9NXPE.

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) June 30, 2018

The Jets get: Valuable, valuable cap space ($4.1 million per season) from Mason’s contract, which is payable for one more season. As well, Armia is an RFA who was also due for a pay increase. This really matters for the Jets because their chances of re-signing UFA Paul Stastny now improve. The Jets currently possess considerable cap space, but Connor Hellebuyck, Jacob Trouba, and Josh Morrissey (among many others) are all RFAs.

Bourque is a 21-year-old defenseman who played for the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate in Laval last season. He was a sixth-round pick of the Habs back in 2015.

The Canadiens get: At first glance, this trade seemed puzzling from the Habs’ perspective, with Carey Price and Antti Niemi already under contract and Charlie Lindgren in the AHL. However…
 

Don't expect Steve Mason to be a @CanadiensMTL next season. He will be traded or his contract will be bought out.

— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) June 30, 2018

UPDATE: Per Chris Johnston of Sportsnet:
 

Steve Mason (MTL) and Tyler Ennis (MIN) are on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a buyout.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 30, 2018

So with the addition of Armia, the Habs are simply weaponizing cap space by taking on a contract that another team wants to dump in order to take another player that they really want to add (think the recent Conor Sheary/Matt Hunwick trade, or Teuvo Teravainen and Bryan Bickell to the Hurricanes), while also adding draft picks. Armia was buried in the Jets’ bottom 6 and probably wouldn’t be seeing the light of day anytime soon with the Jets’ deep forward attack.

Fantasy Players Impacted: Given the lack of clear-cut starting goalies available as UFAs, Mason should find another home somewhere, most likely in a goaltending timeshare situation. Let’s defer on whether this trade helps or hurts Mason until we know his final landing spot. The Jets still need to find a backup goalie, as Michael Hutchinson is a UFA, but at least they won’t be paying said backup $4 million. Purely academic by now, but the trade also cements Hellebuyck as the Jets' starting goalie going forward. 

This move helps Armia from an even-strength minutes perspective, as he could easily slot into a second-line role with his new team. He has some power-play experience as well, averaging 1:30 in power-play time on ice per game on the Jets’ second unit. Expect him to fill a similar role with the Habs. Andrew Shaw could be pushed down to more of a checking-line role, which might be a better fit given his style of play. Keep in mind that the Habs may not be done, especially if they find a way to trade Max Pacioretty.

With Armia gone, Brandon Tanev or Marko Dano could also move into a more prominent role now that there is an opening on the right side (both are currently RFAs and have received qualifying offers). Andrew Copp could also step into some second-unit power-play time.

Fantasy players this helps, in order:

Joel Armia

Connor Hellebuyck

Brandon Tanev

Marko Dano

Andrew Copp

Fantasy players this hurts, in order:  

Andrew Shaw

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Fantasy owners are already discussing the trade in the Forum. Give your take here!