The Montreal Canadiens have reached a deal with another one of their top prospects, agreeing to terms with Jan Mysak on a three-year entry-level contract. The deal will start in 2020-21 and carry an average annual value of $850,833. Mysak is currently playing with the Laval Rocket on an amateur tryout.
The 18-year-old Mysak was the 48th overall pick in last year’s draft after a short run with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the OHL. The Czech forward played 22 games for the junior team but managed 15 goals and 25 points, showing off the scoring ability that had been stifled at the professional level in his home country. The fact that Mysak was playing in the top Czech league as a teenager should be enough, but it was hard to know just how high his offensive ceiling was before seeing him dominate against players his own age.
A two-time representative at the World Juniors, Mysak has generally shown that when given room to get an impressive shot off, he can be an offensive catalyst. He still has work to do on his skating if he wants to be able to generate those scoring chances at the NHL level, but the fact that he’s already playing at the AHL level will only help push that development quickly. In 13 games for the Rocket he has just two goals but is gaining valuable experience in the faster and tougher North American style.