Montreal Canadiens place Brandon Gignac on waivers

The Montreal Canadiens have placed forward Brandon Gignac on waivers.

The news comes as the Canadiens claimed forward Colin White from the Pittsburgh Penguins, with the club needing to clear a roster spot to make it happen.

Gignac had a seven-game stint with the Canadiens this month, registering his first career goal in a 5-0 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Feb. 13. It marked his first NHL action since making his debut during the 2018-19 season with the New Jersey Devils after getting selected 80th overall back in 2016.

Gignac has had the best season of his pro hockey career this season, registering 14 goals and 42 points in 43 games with the Laval Rocket. By trying to send Gignac down, the Canadiens are likely hoping to have him back as a key piece of Laval’s playoff push as the team’s leading scorer.

Gignac has spent the past three seasons in the Canadiens’ system and signed a two-year contract worth $775,000 per season last summer. Prior to joining the Habs, Gignac spent the first four years of his pro career in the Devils’ system, highlighted by his previous career-best of 36 points with Binghamton in 2018-19. Gignac found himself with the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen for most of 2020-21 before getting another shot in the AHL with Laval the following year.

The Canadiens will face the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday after losing to the Buffalo Sabres last night. The team sits 26th in the NHL with a 22-25-8 record for 52 points, and are 3-6-1 over the past 10 games.