Erik Gustafsson spent 21 games, including the regular season and the playoffs with the Habs in 2021, but he didn't do enough for Marc Bergevin and the Montreal Canadiens to retain his services.
The 29-year-old Swede moves the puck briskly, but away from the opposition's zone, he becomes as useful as an orange cone living in Montreal year-round. Basically, he remains solely a power play specialist.
Despite this strength alone, he managed to land a professional tryout with the New York Islanders on September 16. Although he did well with the Barry Trotz-led team, the team did not retain his services.
Seriously, it's understandable since Trotz and Lou Lamoriello are both specialists in defensive work. They love to implement a 5-man defensive structure, which doesn't fit with Gustafsson at all...
Anyway, despite this, Gustafsson signed a deal with the Chicago Hawks, a place where he had no less than 60 points in 2018-19. This formation knows him very well as a player and as an individual. A good deal for both parties.
