Over the past few days, the Laval Rocket announced a first wave of cuts for the 2023-2024 season. Many fans were notably surprised to find that the Canadiens' prospect, Ty Smilanic, had already been released from training camp.
Indeed, acquired in the trade involving Ben Chariot and the Florida Panthers, the 21-year-old forward was a third-round pick who had shown great skills in his first season in the collegiate ranks. It was all the more surprising knowing that Smilanic had decided to leave the University of Wisconsin to secure a position within the Tricolore's organization.
Many fans were wondering what would happen to the forward from Denver, who was unable to break into the Montreal Canadiens' and Laval Rocket's lineup. Some experts even suggested he might potentially leave the organization to try to find a new team.
However, in the past few hours, the CH's affiliate team, the Trois-Rivières Lions, made a very interesting announcement on their social media. Indeed, the team announced that a 21-year-old forward, who played the last three years in the NCAA, would sign with the Trois-Rivières team this afternoon. The identity of the player in question is not yet confirmed, but it's undeniable that the description fits perfectly with Ty Smilanic.
Everything, therefore, suggests that the 74th overall pick in the 2020 draft will remain within the Montreal organization. It will be fascinating to track his performance this season as he aims to bounce back after a challenging year in 2022-2023, gathering only two points in 14 games.
