The Montreal Canadiens have placed defensemen Karl Alzner on waivers. He’s in the second year of a five-year, $23.125 million deal that he signed in July 2017.
Canadiens place Karl Alzner on waivers.
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— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) November 26, 2018
Karl Alzner Placed on Waivers
So far this season, Alzner has one assist to go along with two minutes in penalties in eight games. His possession numbers are 49.5 percent Corsi-For and a relative Corsi-For of -6.1.
Over his 11-year NHL career, Alzner has played for the Washington Capitals and Montreal Canadiens. He has 20 goals and 110 assists for 130 career points in 681 career games. He was originally drafted by the Washington Capitals, fifth overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.
What Does This mean for the Habs?
Alzner has not played well for the Habs in the 91 games he’s played with the club scoring only one goal and 12 assists for 13 points. While it is fair to say that Alzner was not signed for his offensive game, he’s also been a liability in the defensive end of the ice. The Habs have a number of young defensemen in their system and along with the solid play of Brett Kulak recently forces Alzner out of Montreal. Montreal has an abundance of defensemen on their roster and in the AHL. The Habs are looking to build for the future and other defenders such as Jordie Benn or David Schlemko could be headed out of Montreal as well.
This move also makes a roster spot available for the Habs to activate Shea Weber off of IR for tomorrow’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
What’s the Next For Alzner?
Given Alzner’s massive contract, it is highly unlikely that any team will take him on waivers. Assuming that he clears waivers, he is likely to be sent to join the Canadiens AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket. The Canadiens would be happy to trade Alzner and move on from a player who does not fit in their system, however, finding a team that will take on Alzner will be difficult.
Main Photo: OTTAWA, ON – SEPTEMBER 23: Montreal Canadiens defensemen Karl Alzner (#22) skates during the NHL preseason game between the Ottawa Senators and the Montreal Canadians on September 23, 2017, at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Steven Kingsman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
