Canadiens re-sign Jared Davidson, Hunter McKown to extensions
Forwards Jared Davidson and Hunter McKown have been re-signed by the Montreal Canadiens to one-year, two-way contracts.
Drafted as a double over-ager in the fifth round of the 2022 NHL Draft, Davidson signed an AHL contract and joined the Laval Rocket for the 2023-24 season. He’s been a productive player for the Habs’ minor-league affiliate, scoring 51 goals during three professional seasons. His solid play earned him an NHL recall last year, as he played 10 games for the Canadiens in a month-long call-up that began in mid-November, registering his first NHL point with an assist.
Davidson was unique among the restricted free agents Montreal had this summer in that he is waivers-exempt. Since his first year in the pros wasn’t on an AHL deal, he only has two years of experience under an NHL contract and remains exempt for a third. Other AHL options will need to pass through waivers to reach the AHL for the 2026-27 season, but Davidson can be assigned directly to the Laval Rocket. That may keep him on the NHL roster through the newly shortened pre-season slate while the Canadiens attempt to get his counterparts through waivers while other teams are busy paring down their own pre-season rosters.
He will be expected to begin the season in Laval, being one of the players expected to do the scor for the team, especially with Joshua Roy’s departure. He will be one of the Canadiens’ top recall options if they find themselves in need of a winger.
McKown was acquired on June 25 from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Luke Tuch.
Columbus had initially signed him as a free agent coming out of college in 2023, and he played 12 games in the NHL at the end of that season. He only saw the AHL in the past three years, and that will probably be where the Canadiens expect him to play over the duration of his contract.
He has been a fair producer in the minors, with 80 points in his three seasons of work, but his 25 points in 2025-26 would have ranked 12th on the Rocket scoring list. His career high is 31 points, set in the 2024-25 season.
McKown brings a reliable game to the Laval Rocket’s forward group, with the ability to play both centre and the wing to give the team some versatility. The aim seems to be putting together a group of responsible forwards with fewer offensive prospects left in the pool.
