With Files from LWOS Senior Editor Aaron Wrotkowski
The Montreal Canadiens have announced an agreement with defenceman Douglas Murray.
The 33-year-old defenceman signed a one year deal with the Montreal Canadiens according to the official Montreal Canadiens Twitter account @CanadiensMTL. Financial details have not been officially disclosed by the team, but numerous reports have pegged the deal at $1.5 million.
Murray played last season for the Pittsburgh Penguins after being dealt by the San Jose Sharks. The 6’3″, 245lb blueliner scored six points in 43 regular season games and three points in 15 post-season games. Murray was traded to the Penguins for Pittsburgh’s second round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft and a conditional second round pick in 2014, which the conditions were met as Pittsburgh won two rounds in the 2013 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs.
Montreal is looking to be without blueliner Alexei Emelin until at least November from current reports but the signing of Murray could possibly mean more time to heal for Emelin.
Murray is known as a physical defensive defenceman, an area that Montreal definitely needed some help in with Emelin out. However he was the least used of Pittsburgh’s defencemen in the playoffs and seemed to struggle at times with speed during the last year in San Jose. Canadiens management will hope he finds the form that made him extremely reliable on the backend prior to this shortened season.
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