According to Pierre LeBrun on Twitter:
Emelin four-year deal with Habs: $16.4 million total; $4.1 M AAV
— Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) October 31, 2013
Emelin is a 27-year-old defenceman who has played the last two seasons with the Montreal Canadiens. The bruising Russian has 19 points in 105 games but is more valued for his smart defence and freight train bodychecks, that have made him amongst the most feared hitters in the NHL.
Emelin was injured during a game against the Boston Bruins on April 6, 2013 when he collided with Milan Lucic and tore his left knee on an awkward fall. Emelin’s injury coincided with a drop in Canadiens defensive play, which many point to as one of the reasons they sunk fast to the Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals. Emelin had surgery on the torn ACL, and is expected to be out of the lineup until late-November or early-December. He skated with the team in a non-contact jersey today.
The contract makes Emelin among Josh Gorges and Davis Drewskie as the only defenceman on the roster, and currently under contract to the Montreal Canadiens next season. Andre Markov, Raphael Diaz, Douglas Murray, and Francois Bouillion are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents; while P.K. Subban is scheduled to be a restricted free agent.
The Canadiens also announced that George Parros will return to the lineup tomorrow night in Minnesota, while star forward Max Pacioretty is also likely to rejoin the team this weekend.
Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images
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