One pending free agent the Canadiens can steal from their Atlantic Division rivals

Christian Fischer, Forward/Detroit Red Wings

Christian Fischer may have never enjoyed an outstanding stat line in this league, and that trend has continued with the rather high-octane Detroit Red Wings this season. But he still has experience on his side, and he’s also proven to be a trusted asset in one location for an extended span. 

Before his stint with the Red Wings, Fischer played for the Arizona Coyotes for seven seasons, becoming a fixture on primarily their bottom-six and someone who could finish at least one and often two body checks per game, on average. That trend continued so far during his time with the Red Wings, where Fischer has 119 hits for a team that needed to bring on someone unafraid of contact. 

But players need to be more than just one-dimensional hitters to hold more value, and luckily, Fischer will bring that to his next stop. He’s been trusted to help out when his team has been short-handed over the past few seasons, and his on-ice save percentage has been 92.4 percent or better at 5-on-5 over the past three. 

Here is another intriguing stat for Fischer: His xGA at even strength this season is 33.0 as of April 2nd, but he’s also been on the ice for just 31 goals allowed in that same situation. That was also the case last season in Arizona when his xGA was 48.4, but his on-ice goals allowed sat at just 44.