Gionta signs with Canadiens - 7-1-09

The Habs strike again.

Montreal has signed former Devils sniper Brian Gionta to five-year deal worth $5 million per season. Gionta had 60 points (20 goals, 40 assists) in 81 games. He has had 20 or more goals for five consecutive seasons.

EN Says: The Canadiens remind us of the Lightning from last year almost. They're just going out and picking up a bunch of random all-stars and hoping it just meshes. Bob Gainey should know better. You need to develop chemistry.

We realize the pressure to win in Montreal is immense, but this is not the way to do it.

That said, Gionta is a goal-scorer. If he's healthy, he'll get 20-25 goals for the Canadiens. And he plays defense. Despite his modest size (5-foot-7, 175 pounds), Gionta is a pretty complete player.

The Habs might've overpaid a bit here though. That's a lot of money for a guy who has only surpassed the 30-goal mark once in his career.