Former NHL forward Matt Moulson has decided on a new destination to continue his playing career, this time signing a one-year AHL contract with the Hershey Bears. The 35-year old has spent the last two seasons with the Ontario Reign where he has still proven to be an elite offensive force at the AHL level.
Moulson ended up back in the AHL after the Buffalo Sabres decided to waive him in the 2017-18 season after he failed to record a single point in 14 games. He never did suit up for the Sabres’ affiliate though, as he was instead loaned to the Kings’ minor league team where he and his wife could be closer to family—he and Jonathan Quick married the daughters of former NHL player Mike Backman. In Ontario, Moulson showed just why he was once considered one of the better scoring wingers in the NHL, as he recorded 108 points in 117 regular season games.
Now for Hershey, Moulson can once again provide some experience and scoring touch to an organization that expects to compete. The Bears went 43-25-8 last season and were led by Michael Sgarbossa and Riley Barber offensively, the latter having already moved on to the Montreal organization this summer. Moulson can’t be recalled by the Washington Capitals without signing an NHL contract and passing through waivers, meaning he will likely be in the AHL all year. That’s a pretty big pay cut, as Moulson made $8MM over the last two seasons despite playing only 14 games for the Sabres.
The veteran winger scored 369 points in 650 NHL games, including three straight seasons of at least 30 goals while playing with the New York Islanders.