Canadiens terminating contract of former first-round draft pick
The Montreal Canadiens are terminating the contract of a former first-round pick.
The club announced this morning that they have placed defenceman Nicolas Beaudin on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract.
Les Canadiens soumettent le défenseur Nicolas Beaudin au ballottage inconditionnel dans le but de résilier son contrat, à la suite d'un accord mutuel.
The Canadiens have placed defenseman Nicolas Beaudin on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract,…
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) January 28, 2024
Beaudin was drafted 27th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2018 and appeared in 22 games in the Windy City. He was traded to the Canadiens in October 2022 in exchange for prospect Cam Hillis.
Since the trade Beaudin has not appeared in any NHL games with the Canadiens, spending all his time in the AHL with the Laval Rocket. The Quebec native has six assists in 16 games with the Rocket this season.
A disconnect must have occurred between the Beaudin and the Canadiens as the two sides have decided to split ways. Once Beaudin’s contract is terminated he will be free to sign with any of the other 31 NHL teams.
Beaudin signed a one-year contract worth $775,000 with the Canadiens in July. He would have been an RFA at the end of the season, but the contract termination will make him a UFA if it goes through.