The first post-Olympic break NHL trade has been completed

The NHL roster freeze officially lifted following the highly anticipated Olympic break, and general manager Mathieu Darche wasted absolutely no time making a move.

The Islanders sent 28-year-old winger Julien Gauthier straight to the St. Louis Blues to finalize this unexpected one-for-one minor swap.

Gauthier brings a massive 6-foot-4 frame to the Western Conference, but he was completely phased out of the regular rotation in New York. He suited up for just one single game with the big club this year, getting held scoreless before being permanently parked in Bridgeport.

With exactly 130 points over his AHL career, Gauthier still possesses legitimate raw talent, but he clearly needed a desperate change of scenery.

Meanwhile, the Blues decided to move on from Luff, sending him straight to Long Island where he will actively try to crack the NHL roster.

The undrafted forward logged exactly five games with St. Louis this season, netting one goal while averaging roughly nine minutes of ice time.

He fits the exact mold of a traditional energy guy who can consistently provide solid execution on a grinding, heavy forecheck.

Luff has spent the bulk of his recent campaigns battling in the minors, most recently posting an impressive 39 points with the Springfield Thunderbirds.

But the Islanders clearly value his heavy right-handed shot and his absolute willingness to crash the blue line with total reckless abandon.

Over his NHL career, the Windsor native has bounced around four different major organizations while desperately trying to solidify his spot in the Show.

Sitting at 111 career NHL games played, he is a familiar veteran who completely understands the intense, everyday grind of professional hockey.

This mid-season transaction is a classic locker room shakeup for two distinct franchises looking to aggressively tweak their organizational depth ahead of the spring.

St. Louis gets a massive physical asset in Gauthier who can effectively drive the transition game with his long, powerful skating stride.

New York gets a reliable utility winger in Luff who is absolutely hungry to stay out of the press box for the rest of the grinding campaign.