Canadiens sign former top-10 draft pick on cheap contract: report
The Montreal Canadiens are hoping to turn their franchise’s fortunes around.
Missing the playoffs in each of the last two seasons as well as four of the last six years, the Canadiens are a far cry from their days as one of the NHL’s most storied franchises. But it appears that they’re looking at their latest reclamation project in an attempt to add some scoring depth.
On Sunday, it was reported by multiple sources the team before being confirmed by the team that they had inked 24-year-old Swedish forward Lias Andersson to a two-way contract, worth $775k over one season.
Andersson has played six seasons for the Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers, with seven goals and 10 assists in 110 NHL games. It’s far from the most impressive statline, though Andersson does come to Montreal with a bit of pedigree on his side, being taken seventh overall by the Rangers back in 2017. Clearly, the Habs are hoping to unlock a bit of that potential, though it’s likely he’ll bounce back and forth between the NHL and AHL given his history with other franchises.
If you are wondering why you might recognize his name as a fan even if you don’t follow the Rangers or Kings much, Andersson made international headlines in 2018 for his actions following the World Juniors gold medal game.
With Andersson’s Sweden side losing the gold medal on a last-minute goal to the Canada-friendly rink in Buffalo, the newest member of the Canadiens subsequently tossed his silver medal into the crowd when it was presented to him post-game.
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