Canadiens Sign Hal Gill to One-Year Extension

The Montreal Canadiens announced today that they have signed defenseman Hal Gill to a one-year contract extension worth $2.25 million. He would have been an unrestricted free agent on July 1. In 75 games this past season, he had two goals and seven assists for nine points and 43 penalty minutes. In 994 career NHL games with the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Montreal Canadiens, he has 35 goals and 136 assists for 171 points and 911 penalty minutes. He won the Stanley Cup in 2009 as a member of the Penguins. This is a decent signing for the Canadiens, although the $2.25 million salary seems a bit high for Gill at this stage of his career. He has tremendous size and reach, plays with plenty of grit, is a good shot blocker, excels on the penalty kill, and is a leader on the ice despite being a bit of a slow skater. More than likely, he will continue to play alongside P.K. Subban on the blueline next season, which was an effective defensive duo for the team in 2010-11.