HabsWorld.net -- 

The Habs have signed one of their college prospects.  No, not Michael Hage, as his team is still playing for a few more weeks.  Instead, the team inked defenceman Luke Mittelstadt to a two-year, entry-level contract.

The financials of the deal are not yet disclosed.  Notably, the deal will begin next season, meaning that Mittelstadt won’t be able to play for Montreal down the stretch.  However, he will be able to suit up for Laval and he has indeed inked a tryout deal with them for the remainder of the season.

The 23-year-old was a seventh-round pick by the Canadiens back in 2023 in his third and final year of eligibility.  What likely got him on Montreal’s radar that year was a solid showing at the World Juniors for Team USA, where he had three assists in seven games.  Already playing in college at the time, that’s a profile to take a late-round flyer on, even if he’s undersized for the position at 5’11.

Mittelstadt played at the University of Minnesota for his four NCAA seasons.  He was remarkably consistent offensively, ranging between 18 and 21 in each of those years with the latter number coming in his freshman and senior seasons.  Overall, he had 11 goals, 69 assists, and a +46 rating over 152 games.  The Golden Gophers won’t be getting a spot in the end-of-season tournament and with his eligibility exhausted, he was free to sign.

The Canadiens acknowledged back at development camp that they had tried to sign Mittelstadt a year ago but the blueliner wanted to take one last shot at an NCAA title first.  With that no longer happening, he’ll get a chance to get his feet wet in Laval and with their back end dealing with numerous injuries right now, he might not have to wait too long to get into the lineup.