Lias Andersson turned down other offers in free agency, wanted to play for Montreal
The Montreal Canadiens weren't expected to be big players when it came to unrestricted free agency as they're still in the midst of their rebuild.
Instead, general manager Kent Hughes had his focus on depth for both the Canadiens roster and the AHL's Laval Rocket, who lost several players over the last week.
Among the signings the Canadiens have made was 2017 seventh overall pick Lias Andersson, who's reunited with Nick Bobrov and Jeff Gorton, who drafted him in New York.
In a recent interview with Patrik Bexell of Eyes On The Prize, Andersson said he turned down other offers in free agency because he wanted to play for the Montreal Canadiens, particularly because hockey is a huge part of the city's culture and he's heard nothing but great things about the organization.
He added, "I feel honoured, I feel excited, and, yes, I am pumped for this opportunity," he says. "I heard nothing but great things about Montreal as an organization, and we played the World Juniors there in 2017. I was there for three weeks and I really liked it as a city. I heard nothing but great things about both Laval and Montreal. I talked to some guys who played in Laval and they said it was fantastic."
Andersson inked a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 with the Canadiens on July 2nd. He'll be competing for a spot, likely a bottom-six role, during training camp and even if he doesn't make Montreal's roster right away, there's no doubt he'll play for them at some point during the season.
Lias Andersson: "I wanted to play hockey in Montreal"https://t.co/L9WQ3P3w7V� Eyes On The Prize (@HabsEOTP) July 9, 2023
| POLL | ||
How many games will Andersson play with the Canadiens next season? | ||
| 15-20 | 33 | 28.7 % |
| 20-25 | 24 | 20.9 % |
| 25-30 | 21 | 18.3 % |
| 30+ | 37 | 32.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
