Montreal Canadiens unexpectedly cut ties with NCAA star prospect
The Montreal Canadiens have officially given up their rights to former 5th round draft pick Rhett Pitlick in a surprising move.
The Canadiens originally drafted Pitlick 131st overall in the 2019 draft. He was seen as a player with a lot of skill, but his small size was always going to be something he would have to overcome to succeed at the NHL level. It seems as though the Canadiens do not think he has developed well enough for that to be the case.
The @CanadiensMTL confirm to me that Rhett Pitlick is no longer a hope for the organization. #CH
Now Pitlick appears to be heading to free agency after he completed his time with the University of Minnesota after three seasons there. As such, the Canadiens would have had to sign him by August 1st in order to retain his rights. As they have not done so, he will officially hit the free market.
Late last month, reports surfaced that prospect Rhett Pitlick had completed his course load and was pondering free agency. That is indeed the case as the winger is no longer on Montreal's reserve list, meaning his rights no longer belong to them.
This will come as a surprising move to many scouts and Habs fans alike. After all, Pitlick has shown stead improvements in his game over the past few seasons, culminating in a very good junior season at Minnesota. Many scouts believed that he was one of the team's more underrated prospects.
I don't think Rhett Pitlick gets enough love for how his game has progressed.
Went from a pure skill and speed player who used his on-puck carries to create offence, to a really translatable board battler and off-puck mover. Leads U. of Minnesota in pts with 35. #GoHabsGo
Went from a pure skill and speed player who used his on-puck carries to create offence, to a really translatable board battler and off-puck mover. Leads U. of Minnesota in pts with 35. #GoHabsGo
Pitlick scored just 18 points in his rookie season at the NCAA level, and just 5 of those were goals. In his sophomore season he improved across the board, potting 11 goals and 25 points. Finally, last season he set career highs again with 19 goals and 36 points.
The forgotten man in Montreal's prospect pool is Rhett Pitlick - perhaps because he was a fifth-round pick in 2019. He's found another level this season...picking up 12 points in his last six games. Here was his SH goal last night..dynamic skater! Article coming this afternoon:
Unfortunately, it seems that those improvements were not enough to warrant another look from Montreal. Surely though, other teams will be interested. Perhaps he will have to sign an AHL deal somewhere, but his path to the NHL is still very real if he can put in the hard work and continue to show improvements in his game. Perhaps someday the Canadiens will regret their decision to let Pitlick walk.
Source: EliteProspects
Rhett Pitlick Career Statistics
Rhett Pitlick Career Statistics
| POLL | ||
AOÛT 5 | 100 ANSWERS Montreal Canadiens unexpectedly cut ties with NCAA star prospect Do you think Rhett Pitlick will ever play games in the NHL? | ||
| Yes | 36 | 36 % |
| No | 64 | 64 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
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