Surprising Move: Canadiens Ship Defender to AHL, Raising Questions About Team’s Strategy

You know, it’s always a bit of a rollercoaster when a player like Marc Del Gaizo gets shuffled between rosters—called up, sitting on the bench, then sent back down before he even laces ‘em up in an NHL game for the Canadiens. Just recently, Montreal decided to reassign Del Gaizo to Laval’s Rocket, their AHL team, after he was a healthy scratch against Columbus on November 17. The 26-year-old defenseman, originally from Basking Ridge, New Jersey, has been knocking around the fringes of the Canadiens’ blue line but hasn’t cracked the regular-season lineup yet. He’s put in decent work with Laval, notching a handful of assists and playing a solid plus-4 over 11 games. It’s a familiar story for him, bouncing back and forth in search of a breakthrough. After leaving the Predators and signing with Montreal this offseason, Del Gaizo’s still aching to make his mark in the NHL spotlight. Here’s hoping this stint back in Laval sparks something bigger. LEARN MORE

The Montreal Canadiens have announced that defenseman Marc Del Gaizo has been reassigned to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Laval Rocket.

Del Gaizo was called up to the Canadiens’ NHL roster ahead of their Nov. 17 contest against the Columbus Blue Jackets, but did not play. Now, he is heading right back to Laval after being scratched for the Canadiens’ matchup against the Blue Jackets.

Advertisement

This is not the first time that Del Gaizo has been called up by the Canadiens to serve as an extra defenseman and then sent right back down. The 26-year-old blueliner is also still looking to make his regular-season debut with the Original Six club.

Del Gaizo will now be looking to make an impact after being sent back down to Laval. The Basking Ridge, New Jersey native has played in 11 games this season with Laval, where he has posted four assists, six penalty minutes, and a plus-4 rating.

Del Gaizo signed with the Canadiens this off-season, ending his time with the Nashville Predators. In 55 games with Nashville over two seasons, he posted two goals, 10 assists, 12 points, 23 penalty minutes, and a minus-1 rating.