Canadiens place former first-round pick on waivers

The Canadiens placed defenseman Nicolas Beaudin on unconditional waivers with the intent to terminate his contract following a mutual agreement, the team announced on Sunday.

Beaudin, 24, has not played a game for Montreal since they acquired him from the Blackhawks in an October 2022 trade. He hasn’t scored in 16 games for AHL Laval this season, posting six assists and a +2 rating.

As Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports, Beaudin’s limited minor-league action this season left him unhappy with his role. He was a healthy scratch in seven of 10 games since returning from his Spengler Cup appearance with Team Canada in December.

A Chicago first-round pick in 2018, Beaudin has shown flashes of potential at the AHL level but hasn’t done so with consistency. The speedy puck-mover hasn’t played an NHL game in over two years, last suiting up for the Blackhawks in a January 2022 contest in which he skated only two shifts.

Things were looking up for Beaudin after a strong showing with Laval last season. He posted two goals and 25 points in 39 games, leading Laval defensemen in points per game while tacking on a team-high +17 rating. His momentum couldn’t carry over, however, and assuming he clears waivers on Monday, he will be free to pursue opportunities with any other NHL team.

There is likely concern from NHL scouts regarding his size — at 5-foot-11 and 185 lbs, he can get overpowered when defending more physically imposing players. That’s been one of the top reasons why consistency has eluded Beaudin throughout his pro career so far, although there is still a fair amount of point-producing potential in his game thanks to his cerebral play and high skating and passing abilities.

Beaudin signed a one-year, two-way deal with a $775K cap hit last July after reaching restricted free agency. He was set to be an RFA again this summer with arbitration rights.