Montreal Canadiens Sign Reilly Walsh

The Montreal Canadiens have poached a depth defenseman from the international free agent market. According to a team announcement, the Canadiens have signed defenseman Reilly Walsh to a one-year, two-way contract.

Walsh, 27, spent last season with the KHL’s Barys Astana, his first outside the North American market for the first time in his career. He performed well on the offense, scoring 16 goals and 46 points in 68 games with a -24 rating.

That’s not dissimilar from how Walsh typically performed in the AHL. An alumnus of Harvard University, Walsh’s brief professional career was defined by above-average scoring ability, with subpar respect to the defensive side of the puck.

In his most recent AHL campaign, with the Ontario Reign, Walsh scored six goals and 32 points in 70 games with a -11 rating. The previous year, with the Providence Bruins, he registered nine goals and 28 points in 60 games with a -17 rating.

Despite being currently positioned as the oldest player on the Laval Rocket’s defensive corps, it’s unlikely that Walsh will factor into Montreal’s 2026-27 season. Although he’ll give the Rocket some offensive punch on the blue line, Montreal will likely rely on youngsters like David Reinbacher or Adam Engstrom should they need an injury replacement at any point throughout the season.