Comments / New

St. John’s IceCaps captain Gabriel Dumont will test free agency

In an interview with La Presse, Montreal Canadiens forward Gabriel Dumont has confirmed that he would explore free agency when the market opens on July 1st.

This is the first time that Dumont becomes eligible for unrestricted free agency, and it comes as no surprise that he will want to shop around and look for options that will give him the best chance to play in the NHL. The article does not mention whether the Canadiens offered him a contract to stay or not.

At 25 years of age, the 2009 fifth-round draft pick has seen limited action with the Canadiens in six professional seasons, playing 10 games in the 2012-13, and only 18 games in the NHL in total. He scored one goal and two assists in the process. With an NHL ceiling seemingly being a fourth line centre, the Canadiens did not reach out to him this past season, despite a myriad of injuries.

In the AHL he has served as captain of the Canadiens farm team for the past two seasons, and put up about 20 goals per year, despite the tough defensive deployment. He is a trusted player for Sylvain Lefebvre, deploying him in all situations, and is a well-respected locker room leader.

The 2009 draft class is considered generally a bust for the Montreal Canadiens, with Louis Leblanc selected in the first round being the most successful pick that year in terms of games played with the Habs, followed by Dumont. Other picks such as Mac Bennett, Alexander Avstin, and Joonas Nattinen did not progress out of the AHL, while Dustin Walsh, Mike Cichy, and Petteri Simila were never offered professional contracts.

Support Habs Eyes On The Prize by signing up for Norton 360