MONTREAL — If Nathan Beaulieu’s hold on a job in Montreal was tenuous after an up-and-down season, it likely just got a little looser with the Canadiens’ signing of KHL defenceman Jakub Jerabek on Monday.
Beaulieu, who set career-highs in goals (four) and assists (24), started off this season as Shea Weber’s defence partner and ended as a healthy scratch for his team’s season-ending loss to the New York Rangers in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
When Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin said at his post-mortem press conference that Beaulieu was “at a crossroads” and that “the clock was ticking” on his development, it reinforced the logic that the 24-year-old has an uncertain future with the team that drafted him 17th overall in 2011. Now that Jerabek — another left-handed defenceman is in the mix — it appears as though Beaulieu’s days in Montreal might truly be numbered.
Jerabek, a native of the Czech Republic who finished fifth among KHL defencemen in scoring this season (five goals, 30 assists, 35 points), is signed to a one-year, entry-level deal worth $925,000.
Though he can be sent to the AHL without having to clear waivers, the belief is that he’s set to play in the NHL. That’s why as many as eight other teams were reportedly bidding for his services before he settled on a contract with the Canadiens.
Should Jerabek make good on that projection, it’ll complicate matters for Beaulieu, who will also have to compete with 2016 first-rounder Mikhail Sergachev, 25-year-old Brandon Davidson and 31-year-old Alexei Emelin for a job on the left side of Montreal’s defence next season.
The Canadiens currently have Weber, Jeff Petry and Jordie Benn locked into contracts and filling positions on the right side of their blue line. They are the three defencemen most likely to be on Montreal’s protected list ahead of the NHL Expansion Draft, which will be held in June to help the Vegas Golden Knights build their team.
Then there’s 38-year-old impending unrestricted free agent Andrei Markov, who said he’d like to return for at least one more season. He’s coming off a strong campaign, having recorded 36 points in 62 games, and the Canadiens have every incentive to keep him as their top left-handed defenceman and will likely sign him soon after the Golden Knights have made their selections.
As for Beaulieu, you have to think the Canadiens will work hard to trade him between now and the expansion draft, which is set for June 21.
Bergevin made it clear he’s disappointed with the way the defenceman has developed when he said: “At some point players have to take ownership. So I’m not going to start blaming our people.”
But surely Bergevin recognizes that Beaulieu still has some value on the trade market and that it would be more palatable to trade him rather than lose him for nothing to Vegas.
“I had almost 30 points, played almost 20 minutes a night. That’s pretty good,” said Beaulieu on April 24. “I’m 24 years old, I gotta take this as a good stepping stone.”
Beaulieu said he’d like to stay with the Canadiens, but he also acknowledged he wasn’t entirely sure where he stood with the organization.
Jerabek’s signing on Monday made it that much clearer. Beaulieu’s on shaky ground in Montreal.
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