Some more organizational depth up front for one of the Original Six.
On Friday, the Montreal Canadiens announced they have signed forward Jared Davidson to a two-year, entry-level contract set to kick in next season.
Davidson was originally selected by the Canadiens in the fifth round, 130th overall, of the 2022 NHL Draft.
The Edmonton native came out of junior hockey last year and signed a one-year contract with the Habs’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Laval Rocket. There was some unknown on whether or not Davidson’s game was going to transfer to the professional level, but the former Seattle Thunderbird had decent numbers his rookie season, scoring 11 goals and 6 points in 38 games. He finished third in goals by rookies in Laval, finishing behind Logan Mailloux and Joshua Roy.
Davidson got onto Montreal’s radar with the Thunderbirds, where he spent all five seasons of his junior career. He scored a career-high 42 goals and 89 points in 64 games during the 2021-22 season. The following seasons, Davidson scored 82 points in 60 games, and was on the Seattle team that won the Ed Chynoweth Cup as Western Hockey League champions. At last year’s Memorial Cup in Kamloops, Davidson scored a goal and six points, helping the Thunderbirds advance to the championship game, ultimately losing to the Quebec Remparts.
In 254 WHL appearances, Davidson scored 99 goals and 111 assists, including 52 points in 47 playoff games. He was named to the U.S. Division First All-Star Team in each of his last two seasons.
With the signing, the Canadiens have 39 standard player contracts signed for next season. According to CapFriendly, the Habs have a little over $8 million in projected cap space.
