The Montreal Canadiens traded Joel Edmundson to the Washington Capitals.
In return, the Habs acquire third- and seventh-round picks in the 2024 draft. The CH will also pay 50% of its salary during the next season.
Alex Belzile, for his part, will continue his career with the New York Rangers, who have granted him a two-year contract.
Edmundson, 30, was one of the most popular players in the CH locker room, but the overstaffing in defense weakened his position in the formation.
Given the presence of Mike Matheson, Kaiden Guhle, Jordan Harris and Arber Xhekaj on the left flank, his place was now far from certain. General manager Kent Hughes had tried to trade him at the trade deadline last March, but could not strike a satisfactory deal. The Manitoban, however, was coming back from a long convalescence and his ability to finish the season in good health was, at this time, uncertain.
In three seasons in Montreal, this defensive back played 141 games and amassed 32 points. He was also a key part of the club’s surprise promotion to the Stanley Cup final in 2021.
Bothered by back problems for two years, he will earn 3.5 million in 2023-2024 and will become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
An unrestricted free agent, Alex Belzile wanted a one-way contract. He partially achieved his goal.
The Rangers signed him to a two-year deal at a minimum wage of $775,000 per season. The first campaign is two-pronged, but not the second. If he is returned to the American League in 2024-2025, the Quebecer will therefore earn his full salary.
Belzile, 31, did the Canadiens a proud favor last season. In 31 games after his recall from the Laval Rocket in January, he scored 14 points, including six goals. On February 12, he scored the first goal of his NHL career. Above all, he proved to be a positive leader, exercising an obvious influence over the many young players at the club.
The large number of attackers at CH, however, made his return unlikely, all the more so after the signing of Sean Monahan. Belzile therefore found himself virtually with the position of sixth center in the hierarchy of the organization.
The Habs have also announced the signing of Quebec forward Philippe Maillet and defender Brady Keeper. The two have entered into one-year, two-part deals. They will likely play with the Laval Rocket.
Maillet, 30, played two NHL games in 2020-21 with the Washington Capitals. Otherwise, his professional career has been split between the American League and the KHL, where he played his last two seasons.
Keeper, 27, also has two NHL games under his belt, but with the Florida Panthers. He spent the entire past season with the Abbotsford Canucks of the AHL.
