The Montreal Canadiens have signed defenseman Cale Fleury to a three-year entry-level contract, which will allow them to send him to the Laval Rocket as they had planned. Though Fleury doesn’t turn 20 until November, he’s eligible for the AHL and has shown enough to prove that he’s ready for professional hockey.
Selected in the third round in 2017, Fleury took off after a trade to the Regina Pats last season and ended the year with 51 points in 68 games. The younger brother of Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Haydn Fleury, Cale is another excellent two-way player that could quickly scale the ranks of professional hockey. For a team like Montreal, who is waiting on several defense prospects to make an impact, there is more than enough opportunity to go around.
The deal will take up a contract slot for the Canadiens before long, something that they have to be cognizant of this season. The team is closing in on the 50-contract limit, at which point they won’t be able to add anyone off waivers or sign any college free agents in the spring. Still, getting Fleury into the organization is worth it at this point as they try to develop their next wave of defenders.