Montreal Canadiens: Three NCAA Prospects The Habs Need To Sign or Lose By Season’s End

The Montreal Canadiens are now ten days away from the NHL’s trade deadline.

They have already started dealing, hooking up with the Calgary Flames on a big trade that sent Tyler Toffoli west and brought back a package that included a first round pick, prospect Emil Heineman, a fifth round pick and veteran winger Tyler Pitlick.

Obviously the major pieces in the deal are the first round pick and the prospect, but the inclusion of Pitlick is an interesting wrinkle that the Canadiens will have to take into account in future deals.

It is not that Pitlick is a key part of the trade, but NHL teams are only allowed to have 50 players under contract at any time. The Canadiens traded away Toffoli, but added Pitlick so they didn’t change the number of players they have signed in the system. They currently sit at 47 and will need to keep a close eye on that number as they make deals around the trade deadline.

Of course, the team is likely to be selling many pieces and not buying. So, they are likely to reduce that number and not increase it.

However, when making trades, other teams may not want to add another contract to their system. For example, instead of acquiring Ben Chiarot for a first round pick, the Toronto Maple Leafs may want to give up a first round pick and Alex Biega.

Biega is a 33 year old right defenceman who will be a free agent at season’s end. He has played almost the entire season in the AHL, but the Maple Leafs may insist on adding a player like him in a trade so they are not adding any contracts to their organization. Getting too close to the limit of 50 might tie a team’s hands and limit their flexibility in future trades.

The number of contracts sitting at 47 is something the Canadiens need to keep an eye on because they have several good prospects playing in college hockey that need to be signed following this season.

When an NHL prospect has played four years of college hockey, they are eligible to become a free agent in the offseason if they choose. They can sign with the team that drafted them and finish the season in their organization, or simply wait until August and then sign wherever they want.

The Canadiens have three prospects in the system that will have that option this year. They have to sign the prospect or lose their rights entirely. It is easy to say they should sign them all, but they have to keep that contract limit in mind when deciding which of these to sign and who to let walk.

Brett Stapley

Brett Stapley was a 7th round pick of the Canadiens in 2018 after a couple of successful seasons in the BCHL with the Vernon Vipers. He scored 59 points in 52 games before heading off to begin his college career.

Stapley suited up with the Denver Pioneers starting in the 2018-19 season and showed some great defensive abilities right away. He also held his own offensively as a first year college player scoring five goals and 19 points in 32 games.

He scored five goals again in his second season, but added 25 assists for 30 points in 35 games. Last season was a grind in many ways, as Stapley battled injuries and several Covid disruptions throughout the season. He finished with just 13 games played and had seven points.

This season, he is at the top of his game. He has been playing a third line centre role, but also plays on the power play and is a key member of the team’s penalty killing unit. He does all the little things incredibly well like winning face-offs, blocking shots, playing smart positional hockey, taking care of business in the defensive zone and winning battles.

Oh, and he also scored 38 points in 34 games this season. He added more of a goal scoring touch this season, sniping 14 goals in the regular season, which equals his total from his first three seasons combined.

It is easy to make comparisons to Jake Evans who was also a 7th round pick, also scored just about a point per game in his second college season and put up over a point per game in his fourth season. Evans was also better in the defensive zone than the offensive zone and that all matches the description of Stapley’s game.

Stapley has shown some offensive flair from time to time but his defensive game and attention to detail are what will make his a good pro. With Denver ranked as one of the top teams in the country, Stapley’s season is far from over, but when it does end his college career is complete as well.

The Canadiens would be wise to get him under contract as soon as they can.

Jordan Harris

The biggest name among the Canadiens college hockey prospects is Jordan Harris. It was hoped he would have signed last offseason, but he wanted to return to Northeastern to finish his college career.

Is that because his last two seasons were ruined by Covid outbreaks and disruptions to the schedule? Or because he wants to be a free agent on August 15th?

I guess we will find out soon enough, but the Canadiens had better make every effort to get this guy signed. He was a third round pick of the team in 2018 and has just gotten better and better each season with Northesatern.

He scored 13 points in 39 games in his freshman college season, and followed that up with 21 points in 33 games and 19 points in just 19 games last season. This season, the 22 year old has scored 19 points in 36 games.

But it isn’t offence that is Harris’ calling card. He is far better in his own zone, breaking up opposing teams rushes, winning puck battles and moving the puck up ice quickly to transition from the defensive zone to the offensive end.

He was rewarded for that defensive play earlier this week when he was named the Hockey East Conference’s Best Defensive Defenceman. Northeastern finished atop the conference in regular season standings and begins their playoff run this weekend as they take on Boston College in the Hockey East quarterfinals.

If Northeastern lose that game Saturday night, their season is likely over and so it Harris’ tenure as a student-athlete.

The Canadiens could really use him on their blue line immediately but it is now really up to Harris whether he wants to sign in Montreal and finish the season there, or wait until August and choose which team he wants to play for next season.

Want your voice heard? Join the A Winning Habit team!

Write for us!