The Montreal Canadiens are deep at defense, and they added another potential future player to the blue line on Friday. The Habs signed University of Minnesota Gophers D-man Luke Mittelstadt to a two-year, entry-level contract, general manager Kent Hughes announced.
Mittelstadt, the younger brother of Boston Bruins forward Casey Mittelstadt, will join the American Hockey League's Laval Rocket for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign.
The 23-year-old appeared in 36 games with the Gophers in the NCAA this year, chipping in 21 points and leading all team defensemen in goals, assists and points. He will finish his NCAA career with 11 goals and 80 points in 152 games, while also managing a +46 rating.
Mittelstadt played four full seasons in Minnesota, and will now get the opportunity to turn pro with the team that drafted him.
Originally selected by the Habs in the seventh-round (197th overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft, he played for the United States at the 2023 World Junior Hockey Championship in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Moncton, New Brunswick. He helped his country win bronze, while adding three assists in seven tils.
After being passed over in back-to-back NHL Drafts, he'll get a chance to prove his mettle with the 36-18-5 Rocket, who are first place in the AHL's North Division and a contender to win the Calder Cup in 2026.
Following the 2027-28 campaign, Mittelstadt will be a restricted free agent. After the signing, Montreal has 29 standard contracts on the books for the 2026-27 season.
Mittelstadt, who stands 5-foot-11, is an undersized but smart two-way defender. It'll be difficult for him to break through in a prospect pool as deep as the Canadiens', and he most likely projects as a fringe call-up option — whether for Montreal or a different NHL team — long-term.
Currently 36-18-10, the Habs are third place in a competitive Atlantic Division and look well-positioned to advance to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second consecutive year. After bowing out to the Washington Capitals in five games in Round 1 last season, they'll be looking for better fortune this April.
