Canadiens sign Lias Andersson to one-year, two-way contract
The Canadiens picked up another former first-round draft pick on Sunday.
General manager Kent Hughes announced the team has agreed to terms on a one-year, two-way contract with Swedish centre Lias Andersson, who had 31-28-59 totals in 67 games last season with the AHL’s Ontario Reign. The contract, according to CapFriendly.com, will pay the 24-year-old Andersson the league minimum US$775,000 in the NHL and US$450,000 in the AHL.
The New York Rangers selected Andersson in the first round (seventh overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft when Jeff Gorton was their general manager. Gorton is now the Canadiens’ executive vice-president of hockey operations.
Andersson would only play 66 games over three seasons with the Rangers, posting 3-6-9 totals, before being traded to the Los Angeles Kings for a second-round draft pick. In 110 career NHL games, the 6-foot-1, 185-pounder has 7-10-17 totals. Andersson only played one game with the Kings last season and had no points.
Last Tuesday, Hughes acquired Alex Newhook — another former first-round draft pick — in a trade with the Colorado Avalanche, giving up a first-round pick (31st overall) and a second-round pick (37th overall) at Wednesday’s NHL Draft. Newhook was selected by Colorado in the first round (16th overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft and had 14-16-30 totals in 82 games last season with the Avalanche.
Andersson will likely start next season with the AHL’s Laval Rocket, while Newhook will be with the Canadiens.
The Canadiens’ roster includes several other former first-round draft picks, including Nick Suzuki (13th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017), Cole Caufield (15th by the Canadiens in 2019), Kaiden Guhle (16th by the Canadiens in 2020), Juraj Slafkovsky (first by the Canadiens in 2022), Kirby Dach (third by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2019), Mike Matheson (23rd by the Florida Panthers in 2012), Sean Monahan (sixth by the Calgary Flames in 2013), Justin Barron (25th by the Colorado Avalanche in 2020) and Joel Armia (16th by the Buffalo Sabres in 2011).
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This story was originally published July 2, 2023 at 4:36 PM.
