Confirmed with Link: 1-year (2-way) for Xavier Ouellet

[BrendanGallagher11]

What spots do you mean? In Laval or in Montreal?

NHL

 

[Garnet76]

Depth. You need to have at least 8 defencemen who can play a regular shift in the NHL in case injuries strike. And you don't want to cannibalize your farm team, but keep them competitive. Ouellet is somewhere around #9-10 on the depth chart.

This is exactly true which has happen over the last few years. The lack of depth on the NHL team has affected the AHL and has cause assets to be lost through waivers.

 

[LaP]

400k garanteed I read somewhere. Good signing for Laval. Seems like a leader on the team and he can be called up and not look too out of pace should we go through injuries...

Not a surprise. That's a salary a guy like Ouellet can get rather easily in Europe.

 

[Schwang]

Bringing the same plugs year in and year out expecting different results, who will break their non playoff streak first Habs or Rocket

I don’t know why people make comments like these. Put some thought into it before making these angry comments.
I could go on and on about how AHL rosters change dramatically from year to year, so it’s not the same “plugs”, or about the number of injuries Laval had, or how the Habs were within a few points of the “mighty” Leafs even though they had a bunch of “plugs”.
Some of you just refuse to see any progress and frankly, I’m tired of spelling it out.
I get that you’re angry because MB made a couple bad moves, but things are finally moving in the right direction.
Try being a Caps, Pens, Leafs, or Lightning fan right now. THEY have reasons to be angry.

 

[LaP]

It's like a chicken and the egg type thing. Did the defense look so bad because of Scrivens, or did Scrivens look so bad because of the defense?

Spoiler

it was actually both

It was both specially after pk was injured but it was mostly Scrivens. Scrivens looked like on Crystal Meth half the time.

 

[Wats]

AHL D looks pretty good, especially if they send Alzner back.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Perfect for the AHL.

Bergevin, you pull off a big move that actually makes sense for the habs and I might start to think you know what you're doing.

July 1st, habs (amongst actual good nhlers) should be looking for a top flight AHL forward. One who can put up around 60 points, or better.

 

[montreal]

He was very good for Laval offensively, defensively not as much. Watching him in Laval made me wonder how he played 160 games in the NHL. That said with the Habs I actually thought he wasn't bad in a small sample.

 

[Archijerej]

He was very good for Laval offensively, defensively not as much. Watching him in Laval made me wonder how he played 160 games in the NHL. That said with the Habs I actually thought he wasn't bad in a small sample.

I liked him for about 10 games last season. Actually, I thought he was our most reliable defenceman on some nights. If he's a #5 option on the left side next season, then it might not even be necessary to call him up. But he's fine filling in for 10-20 games. Nothing wrong with this signing.

 

[angusyoung]

Can't complain,why not? ultra insurance for intangibles.

 

[Chili]

I've heard more then one NHL gm say you need ~10 dmen who can play in the NHL on your depth chart.

Last year, both Weber and Schlemko were injured to start the season which left them needing to bring in a couple of guys (Kulak and Olofsson), eventually also adding Despres for a while.

I am interested to see if anything happens with Alzner (i.e. exchange of a bad contract with another team).

 

[BargainBinSpecial]

Another good depth signing for Laval. He's not good enough to have a permanent NHL spot. He's a turn over specialist. To think, they placed him on waivers and nobody picked him up. Detroit bought him out and MB took a chance on him as patchwork.

 

[Runner77]

I get that you’re angry because MB made a couple bad moves, but things are finally moving in the right direction.
Try being a Caps, Pens, Leafs, or Lightning fan right now. THEY have reasons to be angry.

For the record, it wasn't just a "couple" of bad moves. Bergevin's first 7 years were abysmal. However, he's begun a turnaround last summer but has made a ton of indefensible assertions and decisions overall. His laundry list has been recited many a time on this forum, so no need to go there.

And I'd much rather have the Caps, Leafs and Lightning rosters right now and have had the Stanley Cups the Pens have produced and that the Caps earned last year, while the Habs have been mired in mediocrity.

So what they didn't advance to the finals this year, it's all par for the course. Point is none of them finished in no man's land, earning the worse lottery pick available while seeing no playoffs.

The Habs's comparable is the Rangers. And the Rangers have taken a position and stuck with it. Their rebuild is earning them the type of assets that the Habs should have had a shot at, on the upcoming draft.

Back to Ouellet, he's just a housekeeping move. He's an asset to Laval and you need those type of players on an AHL team. He's too far down the Habs depth chart to argue about. To each his own, I guess.

 

[jaffy27]

As long as he’s not playing at Bell Centre, I am ok with this......just ok

 

[26Mats]

If we're going to sign Ouellette for depth, we might as well qualify Rielly for depth and bring back Benn if the price is right.

Benn at the 1.something is a good contract for a year or two. But I suspect he would get more on the open market.

 

[26Mats]

Romanov is playing in the KHL next year, Brook/Fleury/Juulsen all play the right side while Ouellett plays the left.

Also Juulsen will play in the NHL (fingers crossed)

 

[Runner77]

As long as he’s not playing at Bell Centre, I am ok with this......just ok

Maybe we can ask one of your airport security buddies if they can place an ankle bracelet on Ouellet so the thing zaps him in case he gets too close to the BC.

 

[scrubadam]

Local boy getting a chance to shine for the minor league team that needs to put butts in the seats.

 

[Rapala]

Local boy getting a chance to shine for the minor league team that needs to put butts in the seats.

Nothing shiny about our minor league team for quite some time now. I'd like to hope this changes post haste.

 

[Runner77]

Nothing shiny about our minor league team for quite some time now. I'd like to hope this changes post haste.

This is going to be the most interesting season for the Rocket and whatever they were called during Bergevin's tenure. Some nice prospects to keep an eye on.

 

[Runner77]

Promo ops, incoming.

 

[Adam Michaels]

NHL

I don't think he's there to take their spot. More of a Laval player with NHL experience for call ups. Much like when they acquired Kulak and Olofsson (though he got injured quickly).

And concerning Brook and Fleury, I would rather see them marinate in the AHL instead of being recalled just to have them play in Montreal. A Ouellet call up would also open an opportunity for those prospects to take on more responsibilities in Laval.

 

[Grand Admiral Thrawn]

1 year, 2 way, but let's be honest it's really a one way. AHL way.

 

[HockeyDBspecialist]

Why would they resign him?

Could have given the spot the a young player or free agent

he is good with the kids in Laval, he is a good presence and mentor

 

[ECWHSWI]

he is good with the kids in Laval, he is a good presence and mentor

how so ?