Habs agree to 3-year deal with prospect Romanov, start date TBD

The Montreal Canadiens agreed to terms with defenseman Alexander Romanov on a three-year entry-level contract, the team announced Friday.

However, the start of the contract has yet to be determined due to the uncertainty surrounding the NHL season.

The Canadiens are awaiting word on the league's ruling regarding whether new signings can play the rest of the current season, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

If there's a 24-team playoff format, which is reportedly gaining traction, the Eastern Conference's 12th-seeded Canadiens would presumably want Romanov to join the team for the remainder of this campaign.

Romanov, a second-round pick in 2018, suited up for 43 games in each of the last two seasons with CSKA Moscow of the KHL, racking up a combined 11 points while playing limited minutes.

The 20-year-old dominated during the last two World Junior Hockey Championships. He was named to the tournament All-Star team each time, tallying a total of 14 points in as many games.

In his midseason prospect rankings after the 2020 world juniors, The Athletic's Corey Pronman listed Romanov as the 18th best prospect, fifth among defensemen.

"Romanov is a great skater and a very physical player. Even though he's not that big, he lands huge hits on a regular basis because of how quickly he closes on his checks," Pronman wrote. "The main area of debate on Romanov is his offense. He's not a top-end offensive guy, but what I've learned to appreciate is how efficient his exits are. He makes a lot of great passes from his own end and is competent on the power play too."

Montreal has a need for a left-handed-shooting defenseman who can skate and move the puck, and Romanov fits the bill.