The Montreal Canadiens have too many forwards. Even with Evgenii Dadonov on injured reserve, the team was still carrying 14 legitimate NHL options. The team has been exploring trade options for some of the bigger names, but to this point, nothing has materialized. Monday, they’ll reduce the number by at least one.
Rem Pitlick will be placed on waivers, likely with the purpose of sending him to the minor leagues if he clears. He last played on November 3 against the Winnipeg Jets, a game in which he took two minor hooking penalties in just over 10 minutes of action. That moved him out of the lineup entirely, as he missed Saturday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights as a healthy scratch.
Pitlick, 25, was a bit of a revelation for the Canadiens at the end of last season, scoring nine goals and 26 points in 46 games after the team claimed him from the Minnesota Wild. He hasn’t been anywhere near the same player this season and has been held scoreless through seven matches. The unfortunate part for Montreal is that late-season performance earned Pitlick a two-year contract in the summer, worth $1.1M each season. That kind of a deal will make any team considering a claim hesitate given his poor start.
Perhaps there will be a club that sees the young forward as an NHL option. If he isn’t claimed, the team could send Pitlick to the minor leagues to get back on track and recall him at some point in the future. His entire cap hit could be buried with the move.
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