After signing Victor Mete to a contract extension earlier in the day, the Montreal Canadiens signed his defensive partner from the post-season, Xavier Ouellet, to a two-year, two-way deal.
The two provided the team with quality minutes in the playoffs, and were more reliable than the third pairings on the two teams they faced, giving Montreal a slight edge in those matchups. That made both worth keeping around, and the players were likely content to get a bit of financial security during an uncertain time.
Ouellet’s contract carries an average annual value of $725,000, just above the league minimum for the 2020-21 campaign.