Andrew Shaw, Canadiens Agree to New Contract: Latest Details and Reaction

The Chicago Blackhawks dealt Andrew Shaw to the Montreal Canadiens during the first round of the 2016 NHL draft on Friday, and the team agreed to a new contract with the forward Monday, according to Darren Dreger of TSN.   

The agreement is a six-year deal worth $23.4 million. 

The Canadiens were slightly strapped for cap space before the deal, and the team will now enter free agency with roughly $8 million to spend. The deal does carry some future flexibility should Shaw not fit, per SportsNet's Chris Johnston:

ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun added that Shaw still has a nice annual salary and strong security if he plays well.

Shaw notched 14 goals and 20 assists in 78 games this season, adding four goals and two assists in six playoff games. In 322 games over five seasons with the Blackhawks, he's totaled 70 goals and 67 assists.

Shaw proved to be a well-rounded asset for the Blackhawks. He can play the irritant role, using his physicality and his tenacity to pester the other team, but he's also good in front of the net. Add in the fact that he's scored 19 or more goals in two of the past three seasons, and Shaw is a valuable forward who clearly made the Blackhawks better. 

Locking him up to a long-term deal for a Canadiens team that fell apart down the stretch should provide a spark to Montreal's lineup. Shaw is a feisty presence around the net on the power play, which should bode well for a team that likes to let P.K. Subban blast slappers from the blue line. 

Montreal tied for 23rd in the league last season with 42 power-play goals. Considering Shaw has potted 14 power-play tallies combined in the last three seasons, he should at least marginally help in this category.

He should also make an instant impact on the penalty kill, where his speed and his tenacity for shot-blocking should only improve a Habs unit that ranked 12th in penalty-kill percentage last season.

The Canadiens were dreadful last season, and with little money to spend in free agency, their chances do not look much stronger next campaign. The team may start to sell older players—such as 30-year-old Alexei Emelin and 33-year-old Tomas Plekanec—to create more spending room to acquire young talent.

Shaw is only 24 years old, so he should help in that regard. Still, the team is a few years away from competing again in the Eastern Conference.

Contract information is courtesy of GeneralFanager.com.

Statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com.

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