Rather than see what might come up in free agency this summer, Canadiens pending UFA defenseman Frederic Allard has found his next team as Lulea of the SHL announced that they’ve signed the rearguard to a two-year contract.
The 25-year-old played in three games with Montreal this season after being acquired from Los Angeles at the trade deadline in exchange for AHL forward Nate Schnarr. However, Allard only has one other NHL appearance under his belt, that coming back in 2021 with Nashville, the team that drafted him in the third round back in 2016.
For the majority of his pro career, Allard has played at the AHL level, getting into 297 games over six seasons with affiliates of the Predators, Kings, and Canadiens. Over that stretch, he has 23 goals and 91 assists along with 114 penalty minutes while chipping in with three goals and three helpers in 11 playoff contests.
While Allard certainly would have had NHL offers this summer, they almost certainly would have been of the two-way variety with an eye on him continuing to play in the minors. Instead, he’s decided that it’s time for a change and will try his hand overseas. As he has not played in enough AHL contests to qualify for full veteran status, there should be interest in Allard down the road if he decides to give it another go at some point in North America.