Habs sign Vinzenz Rohrer

Vinzenz Rohrer has taken a slower development path than a lot of prospects but it has worked well for him and he was rewarded for his efforts Saturday with the team announcing that they’ve signed him to a three-year, entry-level contract.  Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 20-year-old was a third-round pick (75th overall) by Montreal back in 2022, being selected out of OHL Ottawa.  He remained with Ottawa the following season, posting 19 goals and 30 assists in 54 games before deciding to make a change.  Instead of staying for his final year of major junior, Rohrer instead decided to turn pro, inking a two-year deal with Zurich in Switzerland.  In doing so, he extended his signing timeline from June 1, 2024 to June 1, 2026.

Rohrer had a good first year in Switzerland in 2023-24, putting up 19 points in 49 games, earning himself a one-year extension with the Lions in the process while bumping him up one spot from 15 to 14 in our preseason prospect rankings.

This season, he fared a bit better, tallying 15 goals and 10 assists in 52 games during the regular season before slowing down a bit in the playoffs where he was limited to a goal and six helpers in 16 contests.  From there, instead of going to Laval where playing time would have been limited, Rohrer instead suited up for Austria at the Worlds for the second straight year, finishing fourth in team scoring with four goals and two assists in eight games.

Rohrer still has one year left on his deal in Zurich, putting him in the same situation that Oliver Kapanen was to start this past season.  He’ll attend training camp with the Habs but if he doesn’t make the team, they won’t be able to send him to Laval and instead will have to loan him back to the Swiss league.  Either way, his contract will count against the limit of 50 next season.

With Rohrer’s signing, the Canadiens have now signed seven picks from their 2022 draft class – first-rounders Juraj Slafkovsky and Filip Mesar, second-rounders Owen Beck and Lane Hutson, third-rounders Rohrer and Adam Engstrom, plus fifth-rounder Jared Davidson.  It’s fair to say that this draft is shaping up to be a key one in Montreal’s rebuilding process.