The Montreal Canadiens have re-signed minor league forward Chris Terry to a one-year extension that will keep him in the organization through 2017-18. Though he hasn’t played much in the NHL this season, Terry will help to fill one of the forward requirements for the Canadiens at this summer’s expansion draft. He played 68 games last season for the Carolina Hurricanes and 14 this year for the Habs, making him eligible for the 70/40 requirement—not that the team was going to have much trouble, it is always good to have more options heading into the draft.
Terry was drafted in the fifth round a decade ago, and has turned into a prolific scoring winger in the AHL. With 351 career minor league points, Terry ranks among the top in the AHL each season. His NHL career hasn’t turned into much, though he did play regularly on Carolina the past two seasons. With just 38 points in 152 games, and close to turning 28 years old, he seems destined for a minor-league career.
More deals like this will be made over the next few months as teams finalize their expansion lists. The trade deadline changed a lot of rosters despite mostly dealing in rental players. The draft has provided players like Terry with a unique opportunity to sign a deal (with Eric Engels of Sportsnet even reporting that it is a one-way contract) when one may have not presented itself under normal circumstances.