On Monday morning, the official start to the silly season, the Montreal Canadiens announced that they signed depth defender Mark Barberio to a new 2-year deal, reportedly worth $1.5 million, working out to about $750,000 per year against the cap. The 26-year old avoided restricted free agency after a pretty good season, where he appeared in 30 games and picked up 10 points, a scoring rate that would have been more than worthy of a pool selection, he had played a full season or so.Montreal's depth on the blueline may make it difficult for Barberio to get that full-time swing with the club, but just about anything can happen between now and the end of next season, so he'll be one to watch this year for them.
The Nashville Predators' goaltending situation still has some elements to be decided upon, like who will get to play behind Pekka Rinne, as Carter Hutton might go to unrestricted free agency this Summer. This could open the door to Marek Mazanec, who signed a 1-year deal on Monday morning, but it is a two-way deal, which doesn't guarantee him anything at this point.Mazanec didn't play last season, but made some appearances in the 2015 season, where he played fairly well. With Hutton's uncertainty moving forward, someone will have the chance at a pool-worthy back-up spot for next season, which definitely puts Mazanec on the fringe.
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