After a disappointing season last year that left the Montreal Canadiens on the outside of the NHL’s playoff picture, the team announced Wednesday that they had signed Slovak Martin Reway to a three-year deal.
Reway, who was drafted by Montreal 116th overall in 2013, spent last season split between the Czech league and Fribourg-Gotteron of the Swiss league. The former fourth-round pick notched 36 points (13g-23a) in 33 games between the two leagues and adding 20 penalty minutes.
He’s not the biggest player on the ice, standing at five-foot-nine, but his skill and speed make him standout amongst his peers.
He’ll likely feel at home in a Montreal jersey having played two years in Quebec. In junior, he spent time with the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques – scoring 112 points (42g-70a) in 90 games with the franchise. Following the end of the 2013-14 season, he returned to Europe where he’s played for the last two seasons.
“Martin has the potential to become a very good player,” said Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin in a team press release. “We are glad to have him join a group of young prospects who will be competing for a spot with our team at training camp in September.”
While it’s not guaranteed that he’ll be in the Canadiens lineup to start next season, it seems likely that he’s going to have a role in the future of the storied franchise.