Canadiens Sign Free Agent Tom Parisi

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The Montreal Canadiens have signed un-drafted free agent defenseman Tom Parisi to a two-year, two-way contract, the team announced Saturday.

The 22-year-old finished his college career Friday when Providence, the defending champions, fell 2-1 in double overtime to the University of Minnesota-Duluth in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.

The Providence co-captain scored one goal and 15 assists through 38 games this season, completing a four-year, 144-game collegiate career with 12 goals and 55 points.

A former USNTDP team member, he participated in the Montreal’s development camp in July as an invitee. He will finish out the season playing for the St. Johns IceCaps in the AHL, according to Mark Divver of the Providence Journal.

His offensive upside is limited, but he provides depth and a player who is still developing. Entering college as a true freshman, he emerges as a young player with a lot of experience in big-game situations. He scored the game-winning goal against Denver in last year’s tournament, giving the Friars a berth in the Frozen Four. he then scored the game-tying goal in the National Championship.

With how depleted the Habs’ blue line is — down P.K. Subban, Tom Gilbert and Jeff Petry — maybe Parisi even grabs a game in the NHL this season as a reward for signing with a team that has no hope of making the postseason. Thursday against the Red Wings the Canadiens ran out pairings featuring Greg Pateryn with Nathan Beaulieu, and Darren Dietz with Joel Hanley.