Saturday was the final opportunity for the Montreal Canadiens to sign certain prospects to an entry-level contract.
Kent Hughes got an early start by offering Jared Davidson a two-year, entry-level contract on Friday. The 21-year-old forward had a quiet start to his professional hockey career, having been used sparingly by the Laval Rocket in the first half of the season.
But as injuries mounted opportunities arose, leading to 11 goals and five assists in 38 games.
The stalwart forward is expected to play a more prominent role in Laval’s game plan going forward, owing to his strong work ethic and underrated skill set.
And Then There Were Three
The Canadiens opted not to offer the three remaining prospects a contract.
This means Petteri Nurmi (194th overall, 2022), Miguel Tourigny (216th overall, 2022), and Cedrick Guindon (127th overall, 2022) are no longer considered property of the organization, as the Canadiens have relinquished their rights.
Guindon was worthy of consideration for a contract, as evidenced by his 78 goals and 107 assists in 204 games for the Owen Sound Attack in the Ontario Hockey League.
He’s a cerebral forward who works hard, plays in most situations, and makes a positive impact on the lineup on any given night.
But despite strong starts to each campaign, Guindon would tend to fade down the stretch, showing significant issues with maintaining a consistent level of production.
At this point in the rebuild, the Canadiens need impact players, representing a shift from quantity to quality when discussing the priorities for the team’s prospect pool, which ranks among the best in the NHL.
Montreal has depth at every position, which will lead to further difficult choices in the future, especially since the team is currently in possession of an impressive richness in draft capital.
Such is life for a team with many draft picks, a long list of prospects, and limited contract slots.
