12:10pm: The Canadiens officially announced the $2.25MM deal, adding that Plekanec can earn another $1.25MM in performance bonuses.
7:55am: In a move that has been speculated dating back to the trade deadline, the Canadiens are set to sign center Tomas Plekanec to a one-year contract, reports Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic (Twitter link). Financial terms of the deal are not yet known but Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports notes (via Twitter) that there will likely be performance bonuses in there.
Plekanec has spent the overwhelming majority of his 14-year career with the Canadiens, who drafted him in the third round back in 2001. He was once a prominent two-way player but his offense has tailed off considerably over the last two years. Last season, he scored a career-low six goals with Montreal and didn’t tally any in 17 regular season contests after he was dealt to Toronto just before the trade deadline. (He did, however, add a pair of goals in seven playoff games.)
The Canadiens have long needed an upgrade down the middle and while this signing doesn’t provide them with a top-six center, it at least will give them some extra depth at that position for next season.
Yay!!!! Bring back another Smurf from the trash heap. Small and used up.
Keep stumbling around Marc……