In search of a one-sided contract, Alex Belzile found a buyer. He will continue his career with the New York Rangers.
• Also read: [EN DIRECT] Follow free agent signings
The Belzile clan and Rangers have agreed to halve the pear as only the second year of the agreement will be unilateral.
If he manages to secure a place in Rangers’ formation, he will certainly be a good mentor to the organization’s youngsters, including Alexis Lafrenière. In Montreal, he was always considered a big brother and was very popular with young people. No wonder the organization named him captain of the Laval rocket.
In 31 games with the Canadiens last season, he had 14 points, including six goals. St-Élois Stolz will always remember February 12, 2023. He scored his first NHL goal that afternoon at the Bell Center against the Edmonton Oilers. At over 30, he became the 20th player since 2000 to break the ice.
At the end of last season, he represented the Canadiens for the Bill-Masterton Trophy, awarded annually to the player who demonstrates endurance, sportsmanship and dedication in ice hockey.
“We tried to keep him in Montreal, even for two years. On the other hand, as we told him, at 32 he had our support to get as much money as possible. And with the number of attackers we had, we had limits we couldn’t cross,” Kent Hughes said via video conference.
Quiet in the market
This number of attackers is also one reason why the Canadian will be cautious in the free agent market. Hughes has added forward Philippe Maiilet and defender Brady Keeper to the squad, but it serves the interests of the Laval Rocket more.
“We don’t want to block the development of our young players,” said the Canadian’s general manager. When we search for 32-year-old men, we fear that it will harm their development. »
Not to mention the market isn’t the strongest this season. It’s better to wait until after next season when a player like Mike Hoffman is out of contract, adding $4.45 million more to the mass team’s salary.