Xavier Ouellet was one of Marc Bergevin’s typical July 1 signings. Low risk, a decent upside if things clicked, and a stable veteran defenceman for his AHL club if they didn’t. In the past, these players have been Mark Barberio and Zach Redmond. Both were solid at the NHL level, but made their biggest impact with the St. John’s IceCaps during their time there.
Ouellet finds himself in a similar limbo now. He had three points in 19 games for the Canadiens this year, but soon found himself frozen out before being put on waivers where he joined the Laval Rocket.