Feb. 23: Gignac cleared waivers Friday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. The AHL’s Laval Rocket confirmed that Gignac had been reassigned to them by Montreal.
Feb. 22: The Montreal Canadiens have claimed forward Colin White off of waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins. The team has placed Brandon Gignac on waivers in order to make space for White’s arrival. This move marks a reunion between White and general manager Kent Hughes, who represented White as a player agent before moving into a team role.
White will be moving to his fourth NHL franchise with this move, after just 11 games with the Penguins. The 27-year-old centerman signed a one-year, two-way, $775K contract with the Penguins before the season, earning the deal after signing a professional try-out. But his only scoring this season has come in the AHL, where he’s scored 10 points, split evenly, in 21 games. White was placed on waivers on October 8th and remained in the minor leagues until January 13th.
White has fallen a long way since being drafted 21st overall in the 2015 NHL Draft. He lived up to the high selection quickly, scoring 76 points across 72 games with Boston College before playing his rookie season in the 2018-19 season. And he looked the part in his rookie season as well, scoring 14 goals and 41 points in 71 games. But he has only broken 20 points one time since then, seeing a gradual decrease in his production every season since. He will likely step immediately into the Montreal lineup, in place of Gignac who was operating as the team’s fourth-line center, though injuries to Rafael Harvey-Pinard and Christian Dvorak could offer a chance for White to see expanded opportunity.
Montreal faces the Penguins on Thursday evening, giving White the rare chance for a revenge game on the same day as his team-change. The Canadiens also have Michael Pezzetta recalled to the NHL roster, offering depth in the event that White isn’t ready to go. Either way, he’ll kick off his search for the first point of his season, and his Canadiens career, when he slots into the lineup.
This guy really really loves overvaluing his former players. Agent habits die hard, I guess. Not good for a GM.
The last thing the habs need is another left shot D
Pretty sure this is the former 1st round draft pick of Ottawa who is a winger not the very aged defenceman NJ drafted as the new millennium broke 24 years ago
Thank the gods no teams have two players with the exact same name and spelling in the organization at the same time.
Why are you looking at me like that, Vancouver?
Again wrong Colin White ,link….that guy was born in 1977!
Yea my point exactly, the article even says forward. Im not sure what the hockey writers get paid or who links and posts the articles even if its just a side hustle take pride in it and make sure its done right. People make mistakes and im not trying to come off as a jerk but when mistakes happen often are they even mistakes anymore
Thanks for the cap relief?
Watch him score twice tonight against the Pens