After a pair of quiet seasons to start his professional career, Canadiens prospect Hayden Verbeek is getting a short-term change of scenery. The team announced that they’ve loaned the winger to Banska Bystrica of the Slovak league and that he’ll be recalled when training camps get underway.
Montreal signed the 22-year-old as an undrafted free agent in 2018 when he was in the midst of a career year with the Soo Greyhounds of the OHL when he had 30 goals in 67 games, more than his the rest of his junior tenure (spanning 183 games) combined.
However, that hasn’t materialized in much success in the minors. Verbeek battled injuries this season and when he was healthy, he spent most of his time with Adirondack of the ECHL where he had five goals and 14 assists in 21 games. Over 54 career AHL contests though, he has just four goals and three assists.
Verbeek has one year remaining on his entry-level deal and through his first two seasons, he looks a potential non-tender candidate in the 2021 offseason. With that in mind, an early start to his season to get some extra game action could go a long way towards determining his future fate.