The Chicago native has 41 points (seven goals, 34 assists) in 174 games with Montreal and Minnesota.

Sturtz, a 25-year-old from Buffalo, N.Y., has a goal and an assist through 14 games this season with the American Hockey League’s Belleville Senators.

Trading between Ottawa and Montreal is rare. The last time the two Atlantic Division rivals made a deal was June 24, 2001, when the Senators sent forward Andreas Dackell to the Canadiens in exchange for an eighth-round pick.

The Canadiens made another trade with a division rival Thursday, acquiring defenceman Marco Scandella from the Buffalo Sabres for a fourth-round pick (originally belonging to San Jose) in 2020.

Scandella, a 29-year-old Montreal native, has three goals and six assists in 31 games with the Sabres this season.

He has 133 points (41 goals, 92 assists) over 549 career games with Minnesota and Buffalo.

Buffalo later used the fourth-round pick it acquired from Montreal to add forward Michael Frolik from the Calgary Flames in a pick-for-player deal.

The Sabres benefit by freeing his $4 million US hit against the salary cap. Buffalo was also carrying eight defencemen on its roster — one more than usual.

The 31-year-old Frolik is also in the final year of a five-year, $21 million contract.

Buffalo has lost four straight and is 1-6-1 in its past eight entering its home game against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night.