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The Montreal Canadiens have placed Tomas Plekanec on unconditional waivers

By Omar L

MONTREAL, QC - OCTOBER 17: Tomas Plekanec #14 of the Montreal Canadiens receives a silver hockey stick Geofffrom Guy Lafleur, Geoff Molson and Marc Bergevin for his 1000th NHL game during a pregame ceremony prior to the game against the St. Louis Blues at the Bell Centre on October 17, 2018 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Francois Lacasse/NHLI via Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC - OCTOBER 17: Tomas Plekanec #14 of the Montreal Canadiens receives a silver hockey stick Geofffrom Guy Lafleur, Geoff Molson and Marc Bergevin for his 1000th NHL game during a pregame ceremony prior to the game against the St. Louis Blues at the Bell Centre on October 17, 2018 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Francois Lacasse/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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This looks to be the end for Tomas Plekanec as he and the Montreal Canadiens have agreed to terminate his contract for the season.

There was nothing but smiles from the Montreal Canadiens and the fanbase when Tomas Plekanec returned during free agency. The 36-year-old had been a staple in Montreal for years, and it wasn’t the same not having him on the team. However, questions began to rise as to where Plekanec fit on the roster.

Having him be the fourth line centre worked for a bit, but it took away from the possibility of making Matthew Peca the guy long-term. Plekanec’s back injury was tough as it saw him on the sidelines for a week-to-week basis, but it did help the Habs work out the congestion. And after five weeks through the 2018/19 season, Plekanec’s days with the Montreal Canadiens look to be no more.

The team announced this morning that Plekanec and the organization have agreed to terminate his contract. The deal was worth $2.25 million for the duration of the season which included several performance bonuses based on the number of games he played, points, and whether the Habs ended up making the playoffs in April.

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Plekanec will be placed on waivers on Saturday at noon, and if cleared, his deal with the Habs will cease to exist.

The veteran played in three games this season only has a single goal to show for it. However, that goal came on his 1000th NHL game which led to the Montreal Canadiens bouncing back against the Detroit Red Wings.

If this is it for him, Plekanec will be walking away with 233 goals and 375 assists for 608 career points in 1001 games. It all started back in 2001 where the Habs selected him in the third-round of the draft and continued on to 2003 when he made his NHL debut in Dallas. The following season saw the Czech native play on the Montreal Canadiens full time, and he never looked back.

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It’ll be tough not to have Plekanec on the team emotionally, but this may be for the best. All we can do is thank him for his time in the organization and wish him well.

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