Wild Sign Forward Latendresse to Two-Year Deal

The Minnesota Wild have announced that they have signed left wing Guillaume Latendresse to a two-year contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. He would have been a restricted free agent on July 1. He was acquired from the Montreal Canadiens last November in exchange for forward Benoit Pouliot. In 78 games with the Canadiens and Wild, Latendresse had 27 goals and 13 assists for 40 points. This is a good signing for the Wild, as Latendresse really improved his play after the trade to Minnesota. He has good goal-scoring skills, can set up teammates with the puck, and is a good hitter. He should continue to be a good fit for the Wild for the next two seasons.

Canadiens Re-Sign Forward Latendresse & Defenseman Belle

The Montreal Canadiens have announced that they have re-signed left wing Guillaume Latendresse to a one-year contract worth $803,000 and defenseman Shawn Belle to a one-year, two-way contract. Financial terms of Belle’s deal were not disclosed. In 56 games last season for the Canadiens, Latendresse scored 14 goals and 12 assists for 26 points. In 209 career games, all with the Canadiens, he has 46 goals and 36 assists for 82 points. Belle did not appear in any NHL games last season, instead playing in 60 games with the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate in Hamilton, scoring three goals and 10 assists for 13 points and 93 penalty minutes. The Latendresse signing is a decent one for the team, as he possesses plenty of offensive skill, especially on the power play, and is a decent passer. As a top-nine forward for the Canadiens next season, Latendresse will be an effective player. The Belle signing is really nothing more than a depth move, though he does provide plenty of toughness on defense. The Canadiens already have sufficient depth on their defense for next season, so Belle will likely spend another season in the minors.