Confirmed with Link: The Montreal Canadiens have signed former Carolina Hurricane Drayson Bowman to a PTO

[LeMAD]

I don't think he'll go to Hamilton, the habs would have signed him to a contract if he was willing to go there.

He's on a try-out to compete with Sekac for the open spot with the big club.

But it's not a training camp invite he got. And I don't think a guy can play in the NHL with a PTO.

Besides, Bowman is not good enough to play in the NHL.

 

[Cardiac Jerks]

Never understood what kept him in the nhl for the canes. Doesn't really do any one thing well, he's just....there. was glad to see him go to open up a spot for younger players. I don't think he'll ever be much more than what he currently is. Anyone hoping for a top six player will be disappointed. This is a prospect I was excited about at one point, a legit goalscorer in juniors. The offense never carried over, though. I think he's better off going overseas if all he can get is an ahl contract. I see nothing in him that an nhl team would really desire.

 

[Spearmint Rhino]

Only makes sense if Moen is moving on, Bowman is not a top 9 guy so he isn't battling Sekac

 

[Ezpz]

Only makes sense if Moen is moving on, Bowman is not a top 9 guy so he isn't battling Sekac

He's not a 4th line guy either. Certainly couldn't replace Moen.

 

[Spearmint Rhino]

He's not a 4th line guy either. Certainly couldn't replace Moen.

Yeah I'm just trying to figure out WTF he actually is

Managed to play 10 mins/game but doesn't play PP or PK, doesn't really hit, fight, score or setup

He's like a line placeholder

 

[Treb]

Yeah I'm just trying to figure out WTF he actually is

Managed to play 10 mins/game but doesn't play PP or PK, doesn't really hit, fight, score or setup

He's like a line placeholder

He's AHL depth. A semi-vet goalscorer to help the kid.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

Let me make an accurate assessment real quick, he's like a youngish colby Armstrong

 

[vokiel]

Let me make an accurate assessment real quick, he's like a youngish colby Armstrong

Apparently he barely hits anything, so how is that accurate? How about just another Ben Maxwell?

 

[Mario le Magnifique]

You guys need to wait and see before writing him off.

Obviously he was good enough to crack the Carolina roster, and had almost as many points as Rene Bourque.

Also, how about our cinderella story Dale effin Weise, who revived his career with us ? A change of scenery can do good for some careers.

Habs need speed and size, and he brings both somehow (although he's not even weighing 200lbs).

I'm happy that the Habs are trying to bring in new blood to compete internally. Drives the kids.

Also, someone said he was a good goalscorer in Junior, well, goalscorers will score goals when they play with good playmakers, and I doubt he had that on the fourth line in Carolina. Just my 2c.

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

You guys need to wait and see before writing him off.

Obviously he was good enough to crack the Carolina roster, and had almost as many points as Rene Bourque.

Also, how about our cinderella story Dale effin Weise, who revived his career with us ? A change of scenery can do good for some careers.

Habs need speed and size, and he brings both somehow (although he's not even weighing 200lbs).

I'm happy that the Habs are trying to bring in new blood to compete internally. Drives the kids.

I agree. He's got good speed, a good shot and decent speed... he still has time to turn his career around so it is definitely worth the risk. Much rather take a chance on a guy like Bowman who is still young and can improve than a blob like Penner who has been on the decline since 2011.

 

[Dominator13]

Really? Bowman? I go to North Carolina maybe 5, 6 times a year, and every time I go I keep telling my buddies how Carolina needs to get way meaner and I would talk about Bowman on the 4th line as an example of what needed to change

 

[Mario le Magnifique]

Really? Bowman? I go to North Carolina maybe 5, 6 times a year, and every time I go I keep telling my buddies how Carolina needs to get way meaner and I would talk about Bowman on the 4th line as an example of what needed to change

Problem with that guy last year ;

Labelled goalscorers don't play on fourth lines. They play top 9 minutes with a playmaker. On a fourth line you play bangers / agitators and defensively responsible players.

 

[Fazkovsky]

Can't be any less offensive inept then Moen, it cant hurt to give the kid a try

 

[tarheelhockey]

Did Malhotra played with him last season in Carolina ?

Yes, in fact Bowman and Malhotra were each other's most common linemate. Our 4th line on a normal night was Bowman - Malhotra - Dvorak.

At this point it's safe to say he'll never be a scoring threat at the NHL level, he just doesn't have the skating and puck skill to take advantage of his shooting ability. It's really not a matter of putting him with a playmaker, because the Habs have plenty of better options to use next to a playmaker.

That said, the Canes have had a handful of these top-6-or-bust types over the past few years, and Bowman was the only one who adjusted his game enough to make the roster as a bottom-6er. He's not going to blow you away defensively, but he's willing to stay in his lane and prevent anything bad from happening. That alone makes him a good pickup on a PTO, because you can stash him in the AHL as a top scorer and then bring him up as an injury plug-in on the 4th line.

I would be surprised if he wasn't looking at offers in Europe, though. I'd imagine he feels like he's done with the AHL at this point.

Best of luck to him, he was a good guy here and never caused any trouble.

 

[hototogisu]

Apparently he barely hits anything, so how is that accurate? How about just another Ben Maxwell?

A bottom-six player who doesn't score or hit? Sounds like an oldish Colby Armstrong to me.

 

[LePoche69]

Perfect dept AHL player to better help the youth income.
One more player to build good inner competition that will make Moen even more futile, and Wise on his toes all year, forcing him to play with an edge. Same for Prust to a lesser point. And good filler in case any of Hab's #10-11-12-13 foward gets hurt. Or even if #8-9 turn out to be more of #'s 10 and up, which could very well be the case with an enigmatic player like Bourque!

Nothing negative about that.

 

[VirginiaMtlExpat]

Does he have Weise-like upside? Seems to me that there are parallels between the two players.

 

[Guilliam]

But it's not a training camp invite he got. And I don't think a guy can play in the NHL with a PTO.

Besides, Bowman is not good enough to play in the NHL.

But he didn't get a contract either, be it 1 way or 2 way. I see this PTO as being something like a "paid invite".

He played 70 games in the NHL last year and split the two seasons before that half and half between the NHL and the AHL.

I think he's trying for an NHL job and if he doesn't get it he'll try to go to Europe.

He's obviously good enough to play top-6 in the AHL, the Habs don't need to "try him out" to see if he can play for the dogs. So if the Habs wanted him there and he was willing to go there, they would have signed a real contract right away.

 

[Kipper933]

Bowman was one of my favorite prospects ever. He had such a sick release in juniors, it was difficult (at the time) to not imagine him turning into a goalscorer in the Pros. Hasn't clicked in the NHL though, but the Canes have had a woeful bottom-6 for years so there wasn't much to work with, and he's still fairly young.

Then again, after seeing Brandon Bochenski's shot, I thought he would be a goalscorer in the NHL too.

 

[LePoche69]

Bowman was one of my favorite prospects ever. He had such a sick release in juniors, it was difficult (at the time) to not imagine him turning into a goalscorer in the Pros. Hasn't clicked in the NHL though, but the Canes have had a woeful bottom-6 for years so there wasn't much to work with, and he's still fairly young.

Then again, after seeing Brandon Bochenski's shot, I thought he would be a goalscorer in the NHL too.

Don't worry. We could make an awesome thread with how most of Habs former top 25 prospects had been labelled vs what they become. Even now, some are still thinking Perezhogin would have been a top 6 if given proper chances... Same is true for any other team.

I used to think Duncan Millroy would become the perfect second line player while developping into a lethal playoff performer...

Now I understand that the vast majority of those top 25 prospects won't even reach the NHL, and any team is lucky is 1-3 of those have some sort of impact. It took time, but now I get it...

 

[Karl Pilkington]

AHL depth.

Fine with me.

glad you approve!

 

[EveryDay]

Aaron Palushaj 2.0v or Matt Dagostini 2.0v

 

[Koivu 11]

Bowman was the Canes most highly touted prospect along with Dalpe just a few years ago, people were all over them. It`s a pretty cool signing imo. See what he`s got, even if it`s just some AHL goals for the 'Dogs!

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

A bottom-six player who doesn't score or hit? Sounds like an oldish Colby Armstrong to me.

I meant youngish in the sense that he's better than the Colby Armstrong we had, but nowhere near as good as the guy pens had and the thrashers briefly had. Bowman is somewhere between there, he did score 12 points in 70 games last season.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Bowman was the Canes most highly touted prospect along with Dalpe just a few years ago, people were all over them. It`s a pretty cool signing imo. See what he`s got, even if it`s just some AHL goals for the 'Dogs!

Yeah, Zach Boychuk, Zac Dalpe, and Drayson Bowman were the Canes best prospects, and look where they are now.

I think it says more about the Canes scouting ability than it does about the players that they were the best the Canes had at the time.