Montreal defenseman opts-out of playoffs and has jersey number taken away

The Montreal Canadiens have announced that defenseman Karl Alzner has opted out of the playoffs and will not be joining the team on their pursuit of the Stanley Cup. Alzner has been used sparingly throughout his tenure with the Habs and was not expected to see much, if any, ice time during the playoffs.

The 31-year-old has two years left on his big ticket, which is paying him $4.625 million annually, and considering Alzner has played over 80 games the past 2 seasons in the AHL, his contract has buy-out written all over it.

Speaking of writing, it appears to be on the wall, as the Canadiens have signed Alexander Romanov, who is expected to play a massive role for the team next season. Even though he won't be eligible for the playoffs this year, Romanov will join the team for training camp on Monday, and will be sporting #27, which happens to be Karl Alzner's number.

Tough day for Karl, as it appears he's finished in Montreal.

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Photo credit: Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire