In a confusing and altogether needless move, Marc Bergevin has extended 37 year old Francis Bouillon contract for one year at $1.5M.
Bouillon has been okay this year as a 6th defenseman, but he certainly hasn’t done anything that warrants an extension, especially with young players like Jarred Tinordi and Nathan Beaulieu knocking at the door for a roster spot next season.
At $1.5M, Bouillon’s contract isn’t exactly a cap killer, but the problem is that by next season, he may be overtaken by a young defenseman in terms of talent, yet he won’t have to earn his roster spot. Michel Therrien has been mostly great in his second stint as head coach of the Canadiens, but he has a blind spot for Bouillon that’s undeniable.
They’re buddies, and I don’t think that’s a good thing for a hockey team. Case in point: Bouillon is the worst defenseman on the team on the powerplay, yet he gets powerplay time every single game, no matter how ineffective he is.
I don’t have confidence that Michel Therrien will play Tinordi over Bouillon next season, even if Tinordi is undeniably better, which is why I don’t like this move.
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
MONTREAL – Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin announced Wednesday a one-year contract extension for defenseman Francis Bouillon (2013-14). As per club policy, financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
The 37-year old Bouillon played in each of the Canadiens 28 games since the start of the 2012-13 season. In his 13th NHL season and 10th with the Canadiens, he has recorded seven points (1 goal and 6 assists). He shows a +5 differential and 30 blocked shots. He ranks third on the team with 48 hits. Bouillon served eight penalty minutes and is averaging 18:01 of ice time per game.
Since making his NHL debut, the 5′ 8” and 197 lbs defenseman has registered 141 points (30 goals, 111 assists) in 704 regular season games. Seven of his goals came on the powerplay, one while shorthanded and he accounts for seven game-winning goals. Bouillon added nine points (2 goals, 7 helpers) in 41 career NHL playoff games.
Bouillon joined the Canadiens organization as a free agent on July 2, 2012.
