Canadiens: NCAA Free Agents Habs Should Consider Signing

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Montreal Canadiens games are back up and running and their schedule is about to get crazy.

With the four games cancelled from last week, the Habs are going to now have to cram in their final 25 games over the next 43 days. They are going to need to tap into their depth in order to make it through that gruelling schedule.

In a normal season, teams would usually play 25 games in 50 days or more. But with the circumstances as they are with a shortened season and a week of missed games to make up, the Habs will be playing basically three games every five days for the rest of the season.

They are going to need to find some reinforcements to pull this off. So far, they have hardly dipped into the Laval Rocket lineup at all for help. Over the first 31 games of the season, the Canadiens have somewhat remarkably used only 21 skaters. Their only real injuries to this point were a three game absence from Josh Anderson and a broken hand to Ben Chiarot that will keep him out long term.

With their hectic calendar over the next month and half, they are going to have to test a little more of their depth. They could go out and trade for some quality pieces to do that but they could also look to sign some free agents out of college hockey.

Cole Caufield just signed his entry-level contract with the Habs, and a handful of other NCAA players could help the Canadiens organization as well.

Now, none of them will have the same pedigree as a first round pick like Caufield, and none of them will be coming off a NCAA scoring title (because Caufield did) but there are some intriguing names available.

These players may not step right into the NHL lineup, but they could, at the very least, play a prominent role with the Laval Rocket if the Habs need to call up a few of the AHL team’s top performers.

Let’s take a look at some quality college players that the Canadiens should be calling in the coming days.

BOSTON, MA – FEBRUARY 12: Ty Pelton-Byce (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images) /

Ty Pelton-Byce: Cole Caufield’s centre for almost every shift this past season and for a large chunk of last season is looking to find an NHL organization to call home. The 23 year old centre is a smart, playmaking pivot who found chemistry with Caufield early on in Caufield’s tenure at Wisconsin and played consistent, solid two-way hockey for the past two seasons with the Badgers.

Pelton-Byce scored 12 goals and 31 points in 24 games this season and has put up 55 points in 56 games over the past two years with the Badgers. He played two years with Harvard previous to that and had 25 points in 33 games as a sophomore. He could step into the Rocket lineup with Caufield and give the Habs top prospects a familiar centre to start his pro career.

Chayse Primeau: Son of Keith and brother of Laval Rocket goaltender Cayden, Chayse Primeau was a dangerous weapon for the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He plays right wing, has good size at 6’3″ and scored at close to a point per game in a tough NCHC conference this season.

The 23 year old Primeau has one more year of college eligibility, but the chance to play with his brother in the AHL might be an enticing proposition.

Jordan Kawaguchi: Probably the best and most likely player on this list to have an NHL future. Kawaguchi was a big part of the #1 ranked North Dakota team that fell just short of qualifying for the Frozen Four. The 23 year old scored the tying goal in the final minute but North Dakota lost in the FIFTH overtime to Minnesota Duluth.

Kawaguchi was fourth in the NCAA in points this season with 36 in 28 games and was the second leading scorer in college hockey last season with 45 points in 33 games. The left winger somehow went undrafted in the NHL after dominating the BCHL for three seasons, but some team is going to get a great player when they sign him in the coming days.

Odeen Tufto: Like Kawaguchi, Tufto is an undersized forward who produces huge numbers. He was the closest challenger to Caufield for NCAA scoring champion, but the playmaking centre ice man fell just short with 47 points in 29 games. Tufto’s numbers with Quinnipiac were quite simialr to Sam Anas during his tenure and he Anas has been one of the top scorers in the AHL for the past few years.

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – FEBRUARY 10: Jordan Harris (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

While it would have been great to see Jordan Harris sign this season, another year of development at Northeastern won’t hurt the Habs prospect. It could also open up a contract slot for one of these NCAA free agent defenders:

Matt Kiersted: The prize of the college hockey free agent class this season is North Dakota defender Matt Kiersted. The 22 year old blue liner has steadily progressed in his four years with the top ranked program and finds himself a free agent a couple weeks earlier than expected after losing in a fifth overtime to Minnesota-Duluth.

Kiersted is a puck-moving defender who could possibly step into an NHL lineup right away and play a depth role. The left shooting defender had 22 points in 29 games and plays a steady defensive game as well. The left side of the Laval Rocket blue line is a little thinner than the right and Kiersted could step into a prominent role there that we all thought Jordan Harris was going to take.

If the Habs plan on granting Victor Mete his request for a trade anytime in the future, Kiersted would be a nice depth addition to the team.

Akito Hirose: First of all, his name is awesome. He is the younger brother of recent college free agent signing Taro Hirose who plays for the Detroit Red Wings.

He just finished his first college season, but he will be 22 years old in about two weeks. Hirose had a successful freshman campaign with Minnesota State, a team that plays a stifling defensive style and just shutout heavily favoured Minnesota in the regional finals to earn a trip to the Frozen Four. Due to that, Hirose won’t be eligible to sign until April 8th at the earliest, and that’s if he even wishes to leave college after just one year.

Brandon Scanlin: Scanlin is a huge left shot defenceman at 6’4″ and 214 pounds. He just finished his second college season and is just 21 years old. Scanlin was named to the NCHC All-Rookie Team a year ago and was named as an Honorbale Mention for the NCHC All-Star Team this year.

Scanlin scored 17 points in 24 games for Nebraska-Omaha and has shown an impressive two-way game as a second year college player, edging out the likes of Jake Sanderson for his honourable mention on the conference All-Star teams.

Next. Blake Biondi Headed to Frozen Four. dark

While none of the aforementioned players are likely to become stars in the NHL, they could provide depth to the Canadiens organization. As free agents, it would cost nothing to sign them and they come with no risk.

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