The Montreal Canadiens announced the signing of forward Mitchell Stephens to a one-year, two-way contract extension.
Another one of Montreal's six restricted free agents (RFAs) who received a qualifying offer this summer has now signed a new deal with the Canadiens. Forward Mitchell Stephens inked a one-year, two-way NHL contract extension for the 2023-24 season.
The contract will pay the 26-year-old $775,000 in the NHL and $300,000 in the AHL, with a minimum guaranteed salary of $385,000.
Last season, the 5-foot-11, 197-pound center appeared in 68 games with the Laval Rocket, tallying 20 goals and 21 assists for 41 points. The Peterborough, Ontario native has played 203 career AHL games, with Laval and the Syracuse Crunch, registering 57 goals and 68 assists over that time period.
After being drafted 33rd overall in 2015 by the Tampa Bay Lightning, Stephens appeared in 45 regular season games with the team, plus seven playoff games in 2020 when Tampa won the Stanley Cup. In the 2021-22 season, he joined the Detroit Red Wings for 27 games. In total, Stephens has registered a career total of three NHL goals and 10 assists.
This signing comes close on the heels of the first RFA to sign an extension this summer, after forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard recently inked a two-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens.