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Over the past few days, it has emerged that the CH has been strongly linked to defenseman Reilly Walsh. According to reports, Walsh—who had been playing in Russia—was on the verge of reaching an agreement with the Habs.
While not a blockbuster signing, he had the profile to bring some interesting depth to the organization.
And now, just minutes ago, the Canadiens confirmed the rumors: Reilly Walsh has joined the organization.
The right-handed defenseman has signed a one-year contract.
And, not surprisingly, it's a two-way deal.
The Canadiens have agreed to the terms of a one-year, two-way contract with defenseman Reilly Walsh.
The Canadiens have agreed to terms on a one-year, two-way contract with defenseman Reilly Walsh. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/gwGyUZRX3P
— Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) July 8, 2026
Walsh, a third-round pick by the Devils in 2017, has played only one game in his NHL career. He spent several years in the AHL before spending last season in Russia.
In fact, he recorded 16 goals and 46 points in 68 games in the KHL last year.
We can expect to see Walsh in the lineup for Laval next year… where, incidentally, there are already quite a few candidates vying for a regular spot on the team's blue line.
HowPascal Vincent will the Rocket's new head coach manage all these players? We'll see.
Defensive
Options for Laval 26-27–
Mittelstadt–
Protz–
Pickford–
Reinbacher–
Engström–
Samson–
Szuber– Walsh–Dubinsky– Haché
Reinbacher and Engström will obviously have a chance to earn a spot on the big team.
— Nicolas Cloutier (@NCloutierTVA) July 8, 2026
We'll see what Walsh is capable of accomplishing within the Habs' organization in 2026–27, but the team is adding some interesting depth.
Especially since we know the Habs don't have a ton of right-handed defensemen on their roster.
Extension
Walsh's signing is reminiscent of Chris Wideman's, who was signed from the KHL after a few years in the AHL. And we know that Wideman, while never a star player, was able to step up during the lean years of the Canadiens' rebuild.
Walsh doesn't have as much NHL experience as Wideman did, and we can't assume he'll be able to make a similar impact. Still, there are some interesting parallels between the two defensemen.
