This post is part of Montreal Canadiens day at PHT...
Heading into the off-season, it was clear that the Canadiens needed to address their lack of scoring.
They signed free agent winger Alexander Radulov on July 1st, but he’s far from a sure thing at this point. Montreal also traded a pair of second round picks for Andrew Shaw.
Depending on how things shape up in training camp, there could still be an opening at left wing on the team’s second line.
Sven Andrighetto, who spent parts of the last two seasons with Montreal, might be ready to make the leap and become a regular offensive contributor.
“My personal goal is to be on the roster,” Andrighetto said earlier this month. “I showed last year, I played 44 games and I want to be on the team full-time this year.”
The 23-year-old scored seven goals and 17 points during his stint with the big club last season.
Andrighetto’s greatest asset is his speed, which makes him a good fit for today’s NHL.
After his entry-level contract expired this summer, the Canadiens gave Andrighetto a one-year contract for this season. He’ll need to show them that he’s capable of being an everyday NHLer or he may need to find work elsewhere.
“I played with Andrighetto while Gallagher was hurt and he’s really shown flashes of greatness,” said captain Max Pacioretty. “He’s got tremendous skill. What it comes down to with a player like that is doing it game-in and game-out. We know the skill is there.”
It might be now or never for Andrighetto.