A Winning Habit
Fansided

Montreal Canadiens: Five Free Agent Centres The Habs Could Target

By Ken MacMillan

ST PAUL, MINNESOTA - JANUARY 05: Mikko Koivu #9. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
ST PAUL, MINNESOTA - JANUARY 05: Mikko Koivu #9. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 03: Derick Brassard #10 skates against the Montreal Canadiens. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 03: Derick Brassard #10 skates against the Montreal Canadiens. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

4. Derick Brassard

Brassard is a veteran who has been around the league for over a decade and has played 852 career games. Just two years ago, he was a solid second line centre for the Ottawa Senators. Everything in that organization kind of fell apart around that time and Brassard bounced around the league like a ping pong ball since.

He played for three different teams last season after being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins at the trade deadline in 2018. It resulted in a disappointing season for the 6’1″ and 202 pound centre. He played a total of 70 games and had just 23 points which was way down from his regular production.

This season, Brassard signed with the New York Islanders for one year and just $1.2 million after making $5 million for the previous five years. He has played well, aided by the face he suited up for one team this year after playing in four different cities in the past two years. Brassard scored ten goals and 32 points in 66 games for the Islanders while playing third line centre minutes all year.

Brassard is from the province of Quebec, so it is possible the 32 year old would be interested in signing another short term deal to stay play in Montreal. He isn’t much of a penalty killer, but could offer some scoring punch from the third line and allow Kotkaniemi more time to develop in the AHL.

Home/Habs News