May 22nd: The Laval Rocket have announced that Kidney has been signed to an amateur tryout contract, in advance of his entry-level deal coming into effect next season. This allows Kidney to be with the team as they attempt to continue their run in the Calder Cup Playoffs against the Rochester Americans.
May 4th: The Montreal Canadiens have signed Riley Kidney to a three-year entry-level contract, adding another prospect to the organization. The young forward’s deal will start in 2022-23 and carries an average annual value of $859K. Kidney currently plays for the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the QMJHL, where he will start a playoff series tomorrow night.
Selected 63rd overall in 2021, Kidney has quickly shot up the prospect charts with an outstanding performance. The 19-year-old scored 30 goals and 100 points in 66 games this season, finishing seventh in league scoring and way out in front of his own team. The next highest scoring player on the Titan was Bennett MacArthur with 77, an undrafted forward who recently signed an entry-level deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Even more impressive is that Kidney only turned 19 in March and will be returning to the junior ranks next season, where he very well could compete for the league scoring title if this kind of production continues. That of course is assuming he doesn’t make the Canadiens out of camp, now that he’s signed and officially a part of the organization.
There is no doubt that Montreal will need dynamic scoring threats in the coming years, meaning a clear path to the NHL is in front of players like Kidney. Whether he can continue on his current development path is another question entirely, and one that will not be answered for some time. An entry-level contract was the next step, now a strong performance in the QMJHL playoffs and a potential spot on next year’s World Junior team is on the horizon.
Smart pick. Good signing. He continues to improve. A future NHLer.