The Pezzetta deal raises questions about identity

June 3, 2023

On Friday, June 2nd, the Montreal Canadiens signed Michael Pezzetta to a two-year contract worth $1.625M for an annual average value (AAV) of $812,500. Pezzetta was a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

This kind of contract is not sexy, but it’s a no brainer.

This deal was a no brainer for the Habs. Pezzetta was a player under team control who was retained for a raise of just over 8%. The 25-year-old has 12 goals and 14 assists in 114 games for Montreal. That’s not too shabby for a sixth round draft pick (2016).

He also has 158 penalty minutes, some of those resulting from his willingness to drop the gloves when called upon. Pezzetta is not exactly Mike Tyson, and will lose more fights than he wins if we’re honest, but at 6’1″ and 210 pounds he brings some size and grit to the Habs line up.

Pezzetta is an energy player. He will always bring hustle, throw hits, skate his heart out, and maybe even score a goal off his face. He is a perfect 12-14 player in the forward group who knows what his role is and won’t cause any drama. Every single NHL team needs inexpensive role players like Pezzetta on their roster.

No brainer.

Utilization is key, and that’s where the questions arise.

Early last season, the fourth line for the Habs was often comprised of Jake Evans centering Pezzetta and Juraj Slafkovsky. I don’t even need to say it. One of those guys just doesn’t belong here. The Canadiens wanted to keep Slaf in the line-up and ease him into NHL, and so he was slotted on the fourth line alongside Evans and Pezzetta. The trio was relatively awful together.

By the end of the season, the fourth line had undergone significant renovations due to injuries and call-ups. Pezzetta found himself with Alex Belzile and Rafael Harvey-Pinard, and they were excellent together. Whether they’re a recipe for a complete season is unknown.

The Habs will find themselves in a similar situation this coming fall. Several young players will be pushing to make the line up and, even if Hughes can magically offload several overpaid veterans, Martin St. Louis may still have a crowded forward group. Decisions will have to be made about the identity of the fourth line.

Will Marty employ and energy fourth like the one that ended the season? Or will the fourth be the overflow line for players growing their way into the NHL?

Can Marty have his cake and eat it too?

A middle ground might be possible. Certainly, RHP demonstrated he can produce on any line, including the fourth in an energy role. Perhaps a guy like Owen Beck can do the same, and the Habs can serve up the prototypical energy line comprised of players growing into another eventual role.

Finding identity is a challenge when you’re still in the subtraction stage, but that’s not on Pezzetta.