The Dallas Stars had a disappointing season in 2016/17 and Ales Hemsky struggling to stay healthy was a part of that. The right winger suffered an injury to his hip last fall as part of his participation in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, where he was a member of the Czech team. In all of last season, the former member of the Edmonton Oilers would play in just 15 games where he was good for 7 points.
In the broader context, Hemsky did not have an amazing tenure in Dallas. He spent three seasons there and did not average a half-point per game with 78 points in 166 games.
His scoring production has certainly faded a little and he's injury prone: two reasons that teams had to be careful about signing the veteran forward.
Hemsky a good pick up at $1M
However, salary considerations are always part the equation and the Montreal Canadiens didn't do bad in signing Hemsky to a one-year deal worth a flat $1,000,000. For Hemsky's part, he'll be a free agent again next summer and that means he has a prove-it season in front of him with the Canadiens. If Hemsky wants a good contract heading into his mid-30s then he'll need to have a good season with Montreal in 2017/18. In effect, the Canadiens got a forward that has good potential, that might stay healthy, and that has a dangling carrot in front of him in the upcoming season.
The Canadiens got that without taking any kind of significant hit for salary and that makes this pick-up a good one from the point of view of Montreal.
What to expect from Hemsky certainly is up in the air. For a franchise expecting some playoff success, Hemsky doesn't bring a lot of experience to the table in that regard. He was a part of the Edmonton Oilers club that made it to game seven of the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals and he was also a key part of the Oilers' success that year.
Other than that playoff run, Hemsky doesn't have a lot of playoff experience to draw upon.
Canadiens' fans should like this acquisition
In the final analysis, fans of the Canadiens should be delighted if the new Hab plays in 70 games and tallies 45 points in the 2017/18 season. But for $1,000,000 there's not a lot of scenarios where Hemsky doesn't earn his pay, unless he misses a huge portion of the season or turns in results that suggest that he is completely washed up.
But Hemsky's upside is still big and he could be a part of a team that once again wins the Atlantic Division. Certainly, the recent contract extension to Carey Price will overshadow the acquisition of Hemsky, however, the Habs didn't do poorly on Monday in picking up the veteran Czech player.
