An injury in the SHL has created an opportunity for Christian Folin, as the Vaxjo Lakers have announced a contract with the veteran defenseman. Folin played last season with the Montreal Canadiens but was an unrestricted free agent after his one-year contract expired.
The 29-year-old has played in 250 games at the NHL level, suiting up for the Minnesota Wild, Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, and Canadiens. An undrafted free agent signing out of UMass-Lowell, he actually put together a nice little stretch that included playoff games with both Minnesota and Los Angeles. After seeing just 16 contests with Montreal last year, there obviously wasn’t a huge free agent market in the current climate and Folin will now have to continue his career overseas.
There’s certainly no reason to believe that Folin’s time in North America is completely over, however, as he’ll likely be a candidate to return next season when there are more jobs available around the league. The big-bodied, right-handed defenseman doesn’t have a ton of offensive upside but can be a useful depth piece, especially at the AHL level if he were to accept a role in the minor leagues.