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Montreal Canadiens sign William Trudeau to entry-level contract

The Montreal Canadiens have signed defenceman William Trudeau to his three-year entry-level contract, the team announced on Friday.

The agreement will see Trudeau earn $750,000 at the NHL level in 2022-23 and contains a signing bonus of $92,500. He will earn $10,500 if he plays at the Junior level. Trudeau is set to make $80,000 per season at the AHL level.

The defenceman, drafted in the fourth round of the 2021 NHL Draft, is currently with the Laval Rocket. This contract will allow him to be on the AHL roster. He can also still be sent to the QMJHL, where he has played three seasons. The 6’0”, 190lb defenceman has 20 goals and 70 assists in 166 career QMJHL games. Last year, he had eight goals and 36 assists in 68 regular season games and added seven goals and four assists in 14 playoff games.

The Rocket have six healthy defenceman not counting Trudeau, so there is a relative immediate need for him to be with the team. The team can take their time to make their decision with Trudeau, like they can with Filip Mesar.

The NHL contract is an indication that they are optimistic about his future in the organization regardless of where he ends up.

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