The Canadian gradually found his players who were injured or sick, and now another striker is added to the group.
Posted at 2:22 p.m.
Updated at 3:06 p.m.
The Habs have indeed claimed striker Rem Pitlick on waivers on Wednesday.
Pitlick, 24, was waived by the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday. In 20 games this season, he has amassed 11 points (6 goals, 5 assists), despite an operating time of just 9.43 min.
Pitlick is a third round pick (76e overall) of the Nashville Predators in 2016. They had themselves waived Pitlick in October, when the Wild claimed it.
Pitlick had had an interesting start in the professional ranks. During the 2019-2020 season, cut short by the pandemic, he scored 20 goals in 63 games in Milwaukee, in the American League. Last season in that same league, he allowed himself eight goals in eight games, and was entitled to 10 games in the NHL, with the Predators.
Wild head coach Dean Evason explained earlier Wednesday why Pitlick was waived.
“Sometimes you have to get a player out of their comfort zone in order to be successful at the next level,” said Evason, reported by Brother Michael Russo. We would like to have 20 Kirill Kaprizov, but it is impossible! It takes a mix and when you put your training together, you’re looking for the right balance. Rem had a good time, I don’t want to take anything away from him. He was trying. We simply decided to go in another direction. ”
Rem Pitlick is the brother of Rhett Pitlick, a 2019 Canadiens fifth-round pick, who currently plays at the University of Minnesota, where Rem also played for three seasons. Their father, Lance, played 393 NHL games between 1994 and 2002 with the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers. It was in Ottawa that Rem was born, but he grew up in Minnesota.
Rem Pitlick shoots from the left and has been employed on the wing in Minnesota this season. He is 5’11 and weighs 196 lbs.