Canadiens: Keith Kinkaid Signs with New York Rangers

Former Montreal Canadiens backup Keith Kinkaid has signed with the New York Rangers, on a two-year deal with an annual value of $825,000.

It’s been a slow start to NHL free agency for the Montreal Canadiens.

With Habs GM Marc Bergevin having already signed newly acquired forward Josh Anderson to a seven-year deal worth 38.5$ million, as well as returning defenseman like Victor Mete and Noah Juulsen to extensions, there hasn’t been much, if any, in the way of new free agent acquisitions.

Players like Alexander Wennberg and Wayne Simmonds that Montreal was rumored to be in the running for, are now both off the board having signed with the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs respectively. However, just because the Canadiens haven’t picked up any new players, doesn’t mean that some old faces have now gone elsewhere.

Remember Keith Kinkaid?

While some Habs fan choose not to, the New York native has popped back into people’s radars, at least briefly, signing a two-year deal with his hometown New York Rangers, worth an average value of 825,000$. Now, while this signing doesn’t make sense from a production point of view, it does from a roster standpoint, which is most likely why the Rangers picked up Kinkaid in the first place.

With the Seattle expansion draft merely one year away, Kinkaid gives the Rangers another player to leave exposed in the draft, allowing them to product more valuable options like Igor Shestyorkin and, to a lesser extent, Alexandr Georgiev.

Montreal fans will remember Kinkaid mainly from the last July 1st,  when the Canadiens inked the former New Jersey Devils starter to a one-year deal worth 1.75$ million. Despite having not played during the second half of the NHL season after riding the bench for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Kinkaid was only two years removed from a 26-win season with the Devils.

At the very least, he was expected to give Carey Price a reliable second option, but alas, once again that did not happen. Aside from a spectacular glove stop on former Minnesota Wild forward Jason Zucker, Kinkaid struggled, posting a 1-1-3 record with a 4.24 GAA. After being placed on waivers and subsequently sent to the Laval Rocket, his struggles continued, posting a 3-7 record with a 3.44 GAA as the Rocket were in the midst of a playoff hunt.

Eventually, he was reassigned to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, where, in a playing for his future scenario, Kinkaid posted a solid 2-1-1 record with a 2.24 GAA. As weird as this signing might look, it gives the Rangers an expendable option for the expansion draft, and a veteran AHL replacement for J.F Berube.

While it’s extremely unlikely that Kinkaid will find his way back to the NHL barring an injury, he should serve a backup or starters role on a young Charlotte Checker’s team one year removed from a Calder Cup championship.

While it remains to be seen what the Habs will do over the rest of free agency, whether it be signing a big name like Taylor Hall or any lesser names available, Keith Kinkaid should be thankful he’s found work, in the first place.