GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Phoenix Coyotes have traded center Petteri Nokelainen and minor league defenseman Garrett Stafford to the Montreal Canadiens for center Brock Trotter and a seventh-round pick in next year's draft.

Coyotes general manager Don Maloney announced the deal Sunday hours before his struggling team was to play the Ducks in Anaheim. Phoenix is off to a 2-3-1 start.

The 25-year-old Nokelainen played five games for the Coyotes this season and had one assist. He was signed as an unrestricted free agent in May.

Stafford had one goal and three assists in six games for Phoenix's AHL affiliate in Portland this season.

Trotter had two goals and five assists in five games this season for the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs after playing last year for Riga in the Kontinental Hockey League.