Montreal Canadiens: Former Hab Gustafsson Finds New Contract
By Joshua Rosa
Its always fun to keep tabs on the ex Montreal Canadiens, because they always seem to end up in the oddest of places. And you always want to see players succeed, no matter what the circumstance or how well they played in Montreal.
And that brings us to Erik Gustafsson.
Gustafsson was brought in to fill an immediate need in Montreal right before the trade deadline, that of an offensive defenseman. Previously, the only other threat on the back end was Shea Weber’s slapper, which was becoming less and less reliable and used.
Gustafsson was pried away from the Philadelphia Flyers for just a 7th round pick in 2022. Not bad to try and fill in a need while gearing up for the playoffs.
In just his third year in the league, Gustafsson exploded as a member of the Blackhawks and paired with defensive great Duncan Keith to put up an astonishing 17 goals and 60 points in 79 games. The league was put on watch as the next elite point-producing defenceman seemed to be on the rise.
And then he never came even close to matching it.
His next season was split between Chicago and Calgary, and saw him not even reach half the points of the previous season. In the offseason he signed with the Philadelphia Flyers and struggled. He only scored 1 goal in 24 games, when the Flyers, who had long since dropped out of the playoff race due to horrific defending and an historically bad Carter Hart, decided to cut their losses and send him north of the border.
Obviously Gustafsson needed to quarantine for two weeks because of COVID, and therefor only played 5 regular season games in the Bleu-Blanc-et-Rouge. Gustafsson just produced 2 assists in those 5 games, but the important part would come in the playoffs.
Gustafsson found his way onto the roster 16 of Montreal’s playoff games. In those games, Gustafsson scored just 1 goal and 3 points. That one goal was a big one, in game 4 of the Winnipeg series, but it wasn’t worth the defensive deficiencies.
It is well known no player is perfect, and offensive players often come with a defensive downside. The problem was, Gustafsson wasn’t worth how poor he was in his own zone.
It wasn’t just when he was on the ice, but since he wasn’t trustworthy, it just meant mammoth workloads for Edmundson, Petry, Chiarot and Weber. And Weber may not ever play again for it.
It wasn’t a surprise then that Gustafsson was not extended by the Canadiens, but I don’t find it surprising that he found another option in the NHL. People don’t forget a 60 point season from a defenceman easily, and he got a Professional Tryout (PTO) from the New York Islanders.
It is equally unsurprising that he didn’t make the team. If the Islanders are known for anything, its their defensive capabilities and that starts with their defensive corps, and the pairing with the same name Pulock and Pelech. There is little room for a guy like Gustafsson in such a tight group.
But soon after being released off the Island, Gustafsson has signed with the Chicago Blackhawks. He’s back with the team that gave him his best season. But there’s no Keith, no Seabrook, no Hjalmarsson. But there is a fresh, if overpaid, Seth Jones.
Jury’s still out on how good the Blackhawks will be. They overachieved last year without captain Jonathon Toews, so anything’s possible. I can’t say I expect another 60 point season, but I can wholeheartedly write that I wish him well and will be keeping an eye on the back end in Chicago this year.