Veteran defenseman heading overseas

Unrestricted free-agent defenseman Madison Bowey hasn’t been able to land a contract in North America this summer, so it appears he has turned his focus overseas. Sammi Silber of The Hockey News relays that the blueliner is nearing a one-year deal with Dinamo Minsk of the KHL.

The 28-year-old signed a one-year contract with Montreal last summer but failed to see any NHL action for the first time since the 2016-17 campaign. Bowey cleared waivers in training camp and was assigned to AHL Laval. However, he dealt with multiple injuries throughout the year, which limited him to just 35 games where he managed only 13 points.

Bowey does have 158 career games of NHL experience under his belt with four different organizations, the bulk of which came with Washington who drafted him in the second round (53rd overall) back in 2013. Between those and his 204 AHL appearances, he qualifies for veteran status in the minors which likely hurt his value; AHL teams are limited to how many veteran skaters they’re allowed to dress, and a down year like the one he had could have made teams look elsewhere to fill those slots.

With that in mind, it’s not surprising that Bowey is looking overseas. An offensive blueliner back in junior, he could find himself with an opportunity to play a bigger role on that front, which would make him a valuable piece at that level or perhaps get him back on the radar down the road in North America.