It wasn’t the biggest surprise, but it still took many by surprise when the Montreal Canadiens chose to scratch both Karl Alzner and Tomas Plekanec. It’s definitely an easier pill to swallow for Plekanec than Alzner if you look at the circumstances of his contract.
The 35-year-old took a $2.25 million cap hit to return to Montreal after his short stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs after the trade deadline last season. But there was more to the deal. Plekanec also has five potential performance bonuses attached which will earn him an extra $225,000.