NHL Rumors: Jordan Harris Expected to sign Entry-Level Deal with Canadiens

According to reports, following the elimination of his Northeastern Huskies from the NCAA Frozen Four tournament, Jordan Harris is expected to sign his two-year Entry level contract with the Montreal Canadiens. This news came after hockey insider Elliotte Friedman, stated that the deal should be done soon.

Do it with the proper respect: What a great game between Western Michigan/Northeastern, with the former winning in OT. In the aftermath, hearing Jordan Harris will sign two-year ELC with MON. Dont be surprised if he’s in lineup this season to burn first year.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) March 25, 2022

The senior defenseman and captain of the Huskies was set to become a UFA if not signed by the Canadiens before August 16th as he spent all four years of his NCAA eligibility with the Huskies. Once the contract is officially signed, the former third round pick in 2018 is expected to report to the Canadiens for the remainder of their season. This in turn would burn the first year of his ELC as he will be able to continue his hockey season either with the big club or with the Laval Rocket of the AHL. If he does go to the Laval Rocket, there is a high chance he will be able to play some playoff hockey.

Harris' college career came to an end earlier this afternoon, when the Huskies lost 4-3 in OT to the Western Michigan Broncos. It was a heartbreaking ending for the team but it now allows Harris to negotiate his entry-level contract and to turn pro.

As well as Harris, the Huskies also have Canadiens prospect Jayden Struble who is a defenseman selected in the second round of the 2019 NHL draft. The two Habs prospects have played the last three years together and could both be playing in the pros together in the near future. Both defensemen have shown to be able to play well in all ends, however Struble is said to be the more dynamic puck mover of the two despite having scored less at the NCAA level than Harris. This past season, Harris put up five goals and 20 points in 38 games with a plus-minus of +11. While Struble put up three goals and 14 points in 33 games along with a +16 rating.

Unlike Harris, Struble has another year of eligibility in the NCAA and therefore it is unclear whether or not, he will opt out of his senior season to turn pro. On top of Struble, both sons (Jack and Riley) of Canadiens GM Kent Hughes played with Harris at Northeastern and could have helped sway the decision in the team's favor of retaining him. As there was a time before Hughes was hired as GM, it seemed uncertain if he'd sign or not.

It will be interesting to see what the Canadiens decide to do with Harris once the deal is officially signed. It will also be interesting to see if they decide to also bring Jayden Struble along or let him play out his final year at Northeastern.