Ottawa’s Maxime Lajoie and New Jersey’s Colby Sissons, both blue liners for the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos, have been rewarded for their strong efforts in training camp with their first NHL contracts. While neither defenseman is expected to contribute at the highest level any time soon, their new deals are a show of good faith and commitment by the teams.
The Senators announced that Lajoie had signed this afternoon, after he has caught the eye of many in Sens camp recently. A fifth round pick in June, Lajoie fell under the radar, despite leading the defensive corps of the the Broncos last season. Expect the 18-year-old to spend at least one more year in juniors, but his strong efforts thus far have him winning over those in the Ottawa brass.
Sissions contract comes as a surprise to many, as it’s noted that he went undrafted in this past spring’s NHL Draft. A strong skater who has wowed many already in the Devils organization who had little to no expectations, Sissions has quickly gone from no-name invite to potentially part of New Jersey’s future plans. Already back in Swift Current, and continuing to play well, watch for Sissons to challenge Lajoie this season, as both young defenseman try to get better in anticipation of fulfilling their newly-signed contracts.
Thanks for informing Zach.