Montreal Canadiens: Making The Case to Sign Cole Fonstad

The Montreal Canadiens signed Cam Hillis to his entry-level contract yesterday. Today, we make the case they should do the same with Cole Fonstad.

The Montreal Canadiens loaded up on draft picks at the 2018 NHL Draft. They didn’t stop there either. After making 11 picks in 2018, they drafted ten more players a year later and currently have 14 picks in hand for the 2020 NHL Draft. They have finally focused on skill and speed over big bashing wingers who don’t pan out.

In 2018 they also seemed to be targeting skilled centres. One of those players taken was Cam Hillis, who went in the third round. He just had a terrific season for the Guelph Storm and signed his entry-level contract with the Habs yesterday.

Another player taken that year that should be signed is Cole Fonstad. He was taken two rounds later than Hillis, but had similar production this past season while playing in the lower scoring Western Hockey League, compared to Hillis in the Ontario Hockey League.

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Fonstad had been a high scoring winger for the Prince Albert Raiders when the Habs called his name two years ago. He had 73 points in 72 games the previous season and though he didn’t turn 18 until the season had ended, he was second on his team in scoring. That is no small feat for a player in the WHL, a league known for producing more punishing defensive defencemen than any other Junior circuit.

Before Habs general manager Marc Bergevin goes out and signs every prospect he has drafted in the past couple of years, he has to consider a few things. First of all, he is only allowed to have a maximum of 50 players under contract at any one time. This isn’t impossible to get around, as that gives him room to fill out the Habs roster as well as the Laval Rocket team and still have some room left over.

However, if he signs too many players that don’t pan out at the AHL level, he is basically wasting a contract spot. Those players can be hard to get out of the organization for three years, because an entry-level contract for a player coming out of one of Canada’s Junior leagues has to be three years. So, you don’t want to sign too many players that you hope can produce at the AHL level.

Also, the Habs have to make a decision on CHL drafted players, typically within two years. If the Habs didn’t sign Cam Hillis by June 1, he would have re-entered the NHL Draft. The same is true for Fonstad. He either signs with the Habs in the next three weeks or he goes back into the draft.

After the trade deadline, Bergevin mentioned it was most likely that only one of the team’s four CHL prospects were going to be signed. He was talking about the group of players that includes Hillis, Fonstad, Samuel Houde and Allan McShane. Since he signed Hillis, it appears the writing may be on the wall for the other three.

However, I think Bergevin should strongly consider finding a contract for Fonstad.

After scoring just over a point per game pace before being drafted, Fonstad matched his production, though the team brought in a few recruits as they loaded up for a title run in 2018-19. This gave Fonstad a bit of a lesser role, but he still produced 29 goals and 73 points (again) in 67 games.

This season, Fonstad was shipped out of Prince Albert after scoring nine points in nine games. He went to Everett where he proved to be one of the most consistent offensive producers in the league. The 5’10” left winger had points in 29 of his first 31 games with the Silvertips. The closest thing he had to a slump in Everett was being held scoreless four times in a span of ten games. He had nine points in those ten games, including the four scoreless games.

After that, he ended his season, and Junior career, by scoring points in nine of his next ten games. He finished the year with 74 points in 60 total games split between Prince Albert and Everett. The Silvertips were poised for a deep run with a record of 46-13-4 on the season before it was cancelled. There is no coincident that one of the league’s top goal scorers, Bryce Kindopp, played on a line with Fonstad who had 52 assists in 51 games after his trade. He was third in the league in helpers with 59.

Fonstad would likely not step into the Laval Rocket lineup next season and dominate offensively. However, his creativity with the puck and ability to make terrific passes to his linemates wouldn’t disappear at the next level and gives him a good foundation to build around as a professional player.

The past few years we have seen injuries derail the Canadiens and Rocket season. The amount of organizational depth was called into question and led to the Rocket missing the playoffs for three straight years now and the Habs AHL affiliate not playing a playoff game in eight of the past nine seasons.

Betting on Cole Fonstad might not result in the Habs finding a future top six forward. But you never know, and there are several contracts in the organization that offer far less in the present or future than Fonstad will (I’ll let you guess who). At the very least, Fonstad could be filling a top nine role with the Rocket for the next few years and could be a help on the power play when there are injuries or top Rocket players are called up to the Habs.

I know Bergevin strongly hinted that only one of the four CHL prospects would be signed to entry-level contracts. I just think he should reconsider that and find a spot for Fonstad in the organization for the next three years.