Jul 30 Louis Leblanc Under 3 Year Contract With Habs, Juniors an Option?

The Montreal Canadiens have announced they have come to a 3 year agreement with Louis Leblanc. The much touted, much hyped, much wanted native Quebecer is now officially opening himself up to all that comes with being property of the Habs organization. Welcome and good luck.

Let the discussions begin anew as to where he will, or should play out his pre NHL years. While Leblanc has made it clear that he was going to return to Harvard, where he was top scorer in his rookie season, Many feel he should get more games in via the QMJHL (Montreal Juniors, conveniently enough) so that he can start getting a feel for the lengthy schedule and duration of a typical AHL/NHL season.

The Juniors traded a first ever 1^st round pick (Guillaume Asselin) as well as their 1^st round pick for 2001 to the Chicoutimi Saguenéens for the rights to Leblanc in the hopes that he would prefer the comforts of home over the long distance feeling.

This could prove to be great news for the Juniors organization who had given up on the rights to another Habs prospect, Alexander Avtsin, after he flip-flopped with regards to playing in North America at all, let alone in the "Q", only to be present at the recent development camp and subsequently signed a 3 year deal of his own.

Perhaps now that all is signed and the dust settles, Leblanc will turn in the Crimson for some McGill Red and some Junior Maroon?

Please read the official Habs press release.