Free agent defenceman Eric Gelinas has not been able to find an NHL contract this summer. However, he has found a team willing to give him an invite to training camp and an opportunity to earn that contract. The 6-foot-4 inch left-handed blueliner was signed to t professional try-out with the Montreal Canadiens today.
Gelinas played for the Colorado Avalanche in what has been deemed as a disappointing season last year. Gelinas, who arrived in Colorado from the New Jersey Devils at the Trade Deadline two seasons ago, tallied a single point in 27 games played for the Avs. He was waived in January, and finished his season with the San Antonio Rampage in the AHL.
The Canadiens invite defenseman Éric Gélinas to take part in their training camp on a professional tryout
DETAILS-> https://t.co/fjDugTT4ig.— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) August 29, 2017
Eric Gelinas Signs a PTO with the Montreal Canadiens
Last season was disastrous for the Avalanche. They finished in the very last place in the entire National Hockey League. As for Gelinas, he has been struggling for the past several seasons. His best year was with the Devils back in 2013-14, when he tallied a total of 29 points. In four seasons since then he has scored a combined 26 points. He has bounced in and out of the lineup and has had difficulty finding his game. When he arrived in Colorado in 2015, he was looking for a new start and opportunity, but unfortunately did not find it.
Now that he will head to training camp with the Canadiens, he is once again looking for a new beginning. In a fight for his role with the Canadiens, he will most likely be trying to win a job in a bottom two defensive role or perhaps even be the seventh defenceman.
In his career, Gelinas has skated in a total of 189 games and has scored 14 goals and has added 41 assists for a total of 55 career points.
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