The Canadiens have taken care of three of their pending free agents before the market officially opens up in a few hours, announcing the re-signings of winger Alex Belzile and Joel Teasdale plus center Nate Schnarr to one-year, two-way deals. Financial terms of the contracts were not officially disclosed but TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie reports (Twitter link) that Belzile’s contract will pay $750K in the NHL, $275K in the minors, and has a $350K guarantee. Meanwhile, PuckPedia adds (Twitter links) that Schnarr and Teasdale will receive $750K in the NHL and $82.5K in the minors.
Belzile has seen NHL action in each of the last three years with his debut actually coming in the playoff bubble in 2020. In 2021-22, he got into 11 games with Montreal and was held off the scoresheet while averaging 10:24 per game. The 30-year-old was more productive in the minors, notching 10 goals and 12 assists in 32 games with AHL Laval and chipped in with nine more points in 15 postseason contests. He was slated to become an unrestricted free agent later today.
Teasdale, an undrafted free agent signing back in 2018, has yet to make it to the NHL level and has dealt with multiple knee injuries in recent years. He was limited to just 44 games with Laval last season, collecting 15 goals and 13 assists which was good enough for the team to tender him a qualifying offer earlier this week. Since the 23-year-old missed all of the 2019-20 season due to injury, he still has a year of waiver exemption remaining despite his entry-level contract now being finished.
As for Schnarr, he was acquired from New Jersey back at the trade deadline in exchange for goaltender Andrew Hammond. The 23-year-old combined for 17 goals and 19 assists in 63 AHL games between Utica and Laval and will likely be earmarked to start in the minors again next season.