Jul 15 Habs Ink Prospects Alexander Avtsin, David Desharnais

The Montreal Canadiens have taken care of some prospect business as they signed David Desharnais and Alexander Avtsin to 1 and 3 year deals respectively.

Desharnais, a diminutive forward from Quebec, led the Hamilton Bulldogs in scoring last season (tied for 4th overall in the AHL) with 78 points (27 goals, 51 assists) in only 60 games. He saw a smidgen of play with the Habs in 2009, six games to be precise, including one limo trip up to Pittsburgh, which saw him spend more time in the car during the six hour drive than with the team as he was sent down the next day.

It is not Desharnais' heart or work ethic that is lacking, it is his height and size. At 5 foot 7, he has continually proven the scouts and naysayers wrong as he has not let his size hamper his productivity on the ice, either at the ECHL, AHL and brief NHL level. With a spot or two open for a forward on the Habs roster, can Desharnais convince the team’s brass that adding him to the already height challenged Gionta, Gomez and Cammalleri is a winning combination? One thing is for sure, he will surely provide all the arguments for his case at this season’s training camp.