After breaking a finger and grinding his way back from arthroscopic knee surgery, Chris Drury had a less than impressive 24 games with the New York Rangers last season. Considering the Rangers were hoping he'd bounce back from a 14-goal, 18-assist, 77-game campaign in '09-10, the one goal and four assists he accumulated last year had a rather negative impact on his future in red, white and blue.
The question I'm asking today is: would he be worth something to the bleu, blanc et rouge?
Drury's offensive days seem to be well behind him, and thankfully, so are the days of him pulling in a 7.05-million dollar/season salary. Glen Sather bought Drury out this summer, and the veteran centre is still searching for a job for this upcoming season.
He represents a tough decision for Canadiens management, if they are indeed looking his way.
It's no secret that the Habs could use some size to fill out their roster, but as it's been noted on several occasions this summer, they also need a depth centreman-- preferably one with a right-hand shot-- and they certainly need to replace what they lost on the penalty kill in Jeff Halpern and Tom Pyatt.
Drury would come over to the Habs with a better faceoff percentage than any member on the current roster.
Discounting last season, which was pretty much a lost one for Drury do to the injuries listed above, he had a 52.9% efficiency rating on 1206 faceoffs taken in '09-10. As for his skill as a penalty killer, he led all forwards in blocked shots (97) in '09-10 as well.
Though these skills weren't largely on display with the Rangers last season, they certainly were at the Olympic tournament, where Drury proved the
doubters wrong with an excellent performance in helping his team advance to a silver medal finish.
Then there's the question of fit with the Canadiens. It's a pretty easy one to answer when you look at the cast of characters Pierre Gauthier's assembled already. There's familiarity with Gomez, and with Gionta and Cole as well through their Hockey USA connection. Drury's known for his leadership, which would probably mesh very well with that provided by Gorges and Gill, and given his secondary role on the ice, he probably wouldn't clash with those who already have a voice in the Habs room.
As for money, considering the fact that he's still on the market, considering his gross overpayment over the last four seasons, considering his injuries, there are few teams that would give him a lucrative offer. I wouldn't like to guess on what the number would be, but it's a safe presumption to suggest his next contract would offer him a maximum of two years of security, at a salary that has to be less than two million/season.
I'm certainly not suggesting the Canadiens take the risk of signing Drury without giving him a look first. It seems a likely scenario that any team interested in his services might request he try out before earning a contract, much like Brendan Morrison did with the Canucks and Flames last year. After earning the Flames trust, Morrison contributed 43 points and was +13, allowing him to sign a one-year, 1.25 million dollar contract on July 15th of this off-season.
Drury may not be the clutch goal-scorer we remember him as with the Stanley Cup-winning Colorado Avalanche, or the overachieving Buffalo Sabres of the mid-2000s, but he can be a valuable addition to the Canadiens depth, and an x-factor come playoff time, if he can stay healthy.
What's the harm in offering him a tryout?
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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