Saturday morning, the Montreal Canadiens announced the signing of free agent defenceman Tom Parisi to a two-year deal. The 22 year-old just finished his fourth season with Providence College, and was the team’s captain this past year.
Canadiens agree to terms on a two-year contract with free agent Tom Parisi. DETAILS -> https://t.co/cTKdsv4ovs pic.twitter.com/Kf4p9KXGEx
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) March 26, 2016
Parisi is a six-foot tall defender who shoots left, and is scouted as a good stick-handler and puck-moving blue liner. His skating skills have been highly touted and he is said to have an above-average hockey IQ. Chris Peters tells us that Parisi is a defensive defenceman on a team that stresses defence first. He isn’t expected to provide a lot of points at the NHL level but could be an excellent bottom-pair shut down defender. You can read more about him in the SBN College Hockey blog profile that was written at the beginning of the season.
The Habs have had some success with NCAA signings in the past, as previously reported on by HabsEOTP.
Tom Parisi is a confident player whose skating and poise could help bolster a defence corps that has suffered through injuries and would be a welcome addition to the St. John’s IceCaps roster next year. His scouting profiles sound typical of the type of player Montreal covets on the back-end, smart and fast and can move the puck out of the defensive end quickly. He may struggle to transition to the NHL considering his lack of offensive production.
The Commack, NY native helped the Providence Friars win the NCAA championship in 2015 and participated in the Habs’ development camp this past summer. Here’s a look at his stats prior to joining the Canadiens’ family:
