The Montreal Canadiens have signed Sami Niku to a one year contract for the upcoming season.
The 24 year old defenceman adds an interesting element to the Canadiens organization. He was recently released from the Winnipeg Jets after his contract was mutually agreed upon to be terminated a year early.
That sounds like a bit of a red flag, but how many defencemen have we seen that want to get out of Winnipeg recently? Dustin Byfuglien, Tyler Myers, Jacob Trouba and Ben Chiarot all left in the same offseason.
For whatever reason, though geography and weather likely play a huge role, NHL players just don’t seem to fall in love with the city of Winnipeg.