Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin is waiting to hear if he is chosen as GM of the Year in the NHL this season. He was named one of three finalists last week, and we will soon find out if Bergevin wins, or if it goes to Bill Zito or Lou Lamoriello.
Bergevin hasn’t been quietly sitting around in anticipation of that announcement. His team is in the middle of a tough third round series with the Vegas Golden Knights that is currently tied 2-2, and he is working to find out how soon his head coach can return after testing positive for Covid-19 on the morning of Game 3.
Bergevin also found time to sign a couple of pending restricted free agents.
Earlier this week, he signed Lukas Vejdemo to a one year contract and today, he inked Laurent Dauphin to the exact same contract. Dauphin will earn $750,000 if he plays with the Canadiens next season, but will take home $215,000 if he plays the entire year with the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League.
The former is the far more likely scenario, but Dauphin is becoming a veteran leader for a young Rocket forward group. The team received solid production from Ryan Poehling, Jesse Ylonen, Rafael Harvey-Pinard and Joel Teasdale last season and they will likely be top six forwards next year.
Teasdale, Harvey-Pinard and Ylonen were all rookies last season, so the team needs some reliable veteran forwards in the line-up as well. Vejdemo and now Dauphin will provide that.
Dauphin scored five goals and 16 points in 21 games for the Rocket last season. He had 15 points in 25 games in 2019-20 after being acquired from the Nashville Predators organization for Michael McCarron.
Scoring 31 points in 46 games over two seasons with the Rocket is going to give Dauphin a chance to break into the top six next season. With veteran centre Jordan Weal departing, there is an opening as the team’s second line centre and Dauphin might be the perfect fit.
The 26 year old from Repentigny, Quebec plays a smart, two-way game and has a chance of cracking the Canadiens as a fourth line forward in the near future. The Habs have to decide what to do with Corey Perry, Joel Armia and Eric Staal who make up their current fourth line. All four will be unrestricted free agents this offseason and if they don’t come back, Dauphin will have an outside chance of making the team.
The more likely scenario will see him return to Laval and continue to produce at the pace he did last season. Don’t be surprised if he is one of the first players called up next year.