The Montreal Canadiens have signed forwards Benoit Pouliot and Tom Pyatt to one-year deals, the team announced on Monday. Both players were set to become restricted free agents on July 1.
Pouliot’s deal will pay the left winger $1.375 million next season while Pyatt will make $550,000 on a one-way contract.
In 53 games with Minnesota and Montreal last season, Pouliot combined for 28 points (17 goals, 11 assists) and a plus-8 rating. He was acquired in a November trade with the Wild that sent Guillaume Latendresse to Minnesota.
Since 2006-07, Pouliot has 42 points (24 goals, 18 assists) in 104 NHL games. A native of a Alfred, ON, Pouliot was selected in the first round, fourth overall by the Wild at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.
Pyatt recorded five points in 40 games with the Habs last season. He added four points in Montreal’s playoff run to the conference final, including the game-winning goal in Game 3 against the Philadelphia Flyers.
The 23-year-old Thunder Bay, ON native was acquired from the Rangers along with Scott Gomez in a trade last off-season that sent Christopher Higgins, Ryan McDonagh and Pavel Valentenko to New York.
The Rangers drafted Pyatt in the fourth round (107th overall) of the 2005 draft.
