Free agency’s busy season has come and gone and the boring part of the offseason has begun. While most players have found their new homes or signed new contracts for the 2024-25 season, some players are still looking for a place to play heading into the new campaign. One player who was looking for a new deal and hoping for a fresh start elsewhere was forward Max Comtois, who was coming off of a stint in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Chicago Wolves. While he was holding out for a new contract and another chance in the NHL, it seems as though he’ll have to wait a bit longer because he has decided to sign a contract with Dynamo Moskva in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Unfortunately, it seems like there was no interest for Comtois in North America, and he’s going to try his luck overseas for at least one season.
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While his focus will be on performing well with his new team and being the best player he can be to add to his professional resume, I’m sure he would like to make a comeback to the NHL at some point in his career. After starting his career with the Anaheim Ducks and playing there for parts of five seasons, he was let go by the team heading into the 2023-24 season. He earned a professional tryout (PTO) contract with the Vegas Golden Knights but was released, and he eventually signed a two-way deal with the Carolina Hurricanes. In his only season with the Hurricanes organization, he played one game in the NHL with the Canes notching one assist, and played 65 games in the AHL with the Wolves scoring 19 goals and adding 25 assists for 44 points.
What Went Wrong For Comtois in the NHL?
Comtois was a big-name prospect during his time in the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) and there was some belief he could become an elite top-six forward at the NHL level. His offensive ability stood out in a big way during his time split between the Victoriaville Tigres and Drummondville Voltigeurs, as he put up 244 points through 205 games which comes out to a 1.19 points-per-game average. He made his NHL debut during the 2018-19 season where he played ten games scoring two goals and adding five assists for seven points before being sent back to the QMJHL.
While Comtois had some injury troubles during his tenure with the Ducks, there was nothing major enough to ever grow concern that it could be career-threatening, or should affect his development. Unfortunately for Comtois, he was stuck in a tough situation with the Ducks where they were entering a rebuild and didn’t have any room for him in their lineup as they looked to make room for their new prospects like Trevor Zegras and Leo Carlsson, and they seemingly shoved him to the side and forgot about him. It didn’t help that Comtois lost confidence with the Ducks as he was consistently a healthy scratch, and he wasn’t playing well when given the chance to shine.
This one-year contract in the KHL seems like a development season for Comtois as he looks to make his way back to the NHL on a unique path. If he can perform well with Dynamo and play a strong game at both ends of the ice, there will be several teams who come calling when he becomes a free agent after the 2024-25 season. I would predict a strong offensive showing from Comtois in the KHL this season, and it’s hard to predict the future, but it’s also tough to bet against him getting an NHL contract for the 2025-26 season.
