Canadiens get younger up front, deal for Gurianov in forward swap with Stars

The Montreal Canadiens have acquired forward Denis Gurianov from the Dallas Stars in exchange for forward Evgenii Dadonov, the team announced Sunday.

The Canadiens will retain 50 per cent of Dadonov's salary through the end of the season.

Gurianov, a first-round pick of the Stars in 2015, has two goals and nine points in 43 games for Dallas this year.

The six-foot-three, 205-pound right-winger has produced 46 goals and 103 points across 257 NHL regular-season contests in five-plus seasons for the Stars. Gurianov, 25, is set to be a restricted free agent this coming off-season.

Dadonov, 33, is in the final year of a three-year, $15-million US contract he signed with Ottawa in 2020. He was traded to Montreal for defenceman Shea Weber by Vegas last June.

The right-winger has four goals and 14 assists in 50 games this season.

The Buffalo Sabres will have to continue their late-season playoff push without top-line forward Alex Tuch, who is out indefinitely after being placed on injured reserve on Sunday.

Tuch sustained what the team called a lower-body injury in the third period of a 3-1 win at the Florida Panthers on Friday. The Sabres did not provide any further details on the nature or severity of the injury.

Tuch, at one point, appeared to hurt his left leg while battling for a loose puck behind the Panthers' net.

The 26-year-old Tuch has been a mainstay on a line centred by Tage Thompson and rounded out by Jeff Skinner, and ranks second on the team with 28 goals and 62 points, both career highs. He had scored four goals in his past five games, including the game-winner at Florida.

The Sabres, who host the Washington Capitals on Sunday, called up Vinnie Hinostroza from the minors to fill Tuch's roster spot.

Buffalo opened