Montreal Canadiens Ink Joel Edmundson to Four-Year Deal
By Emmanuel D
The Montreal Canadiens have signed their recent acquisition, defenceman Joel Edmundson, to a 4-year contract and $3.5 million AAV. The one-way deal will begin in the 2020-21 season until the 2023-24 season.
Less than a week ago, the Montreal Canadiens announced the acquisition of Joel Edmundson from the Carolina Hurricanes in return for a 2020 5th round draft pick. As Edmundson was without a contract going into the following season, the Canadiens had bought extra negotiation time prior to the defenceman becoming a UFA.
The team wasted no time taking advantage of the extra time as they have announced that both parties have agreed to terms on a one-way, four-year contract (2020-21 to 2023-24) with a $3,500,000 AAV.
Post-Stanley Cup win, in the 2019-20 season, Edmundson left the St. Louis Blues, the team he had spent the bulk of his career and won a Stanley Cup with in 2019, to play for the Carolina Hurricanes. In 68 games played, Edmundson recorded 7 goals and 13 assists for a career-high 20 points. While in the playoff bubble in Toronto, he recorded a goal in four playoff games.
While the term on this contract is higher than expected, the AAV makes it manageable and does not eliminate the possibility of a future trade. However, a surprising element in this deal is a 10-team NTC, which may lead to a refuting of the prior statement. Should things not working out with Edmundson in the long run, moving on may be easier said than done. Although at this point, predicting other than where Edmundson would slot into the line up would be seen as “jumping the gun.”
Where Will Joel Edmundson Play?
Whenever the 2020-21 season begins, it is likely that Joel Edmundson may slot into the top-4 alongside Jeff Petry or in the top-6, perhaps playing alongside one of Cale Fleury and Noah Juulsen. As mentioned in a previous piece, the team now possesses a plethora of left-handed defencemen, and with Alexander Romanov coming in next season, internal competition may not be the only determination of the Montreal Canadiens defensive core.
Look out for another possible trade this offseason.