Report: Montreal Canadiens sign Luke Tuch

Luke Tuch has been signed by Montreal

Tuch, the younger brother of NHL veteran Alex Tuch, played four seasons for the NCAA's Boston University Terriers. The Baldwinsville, N.Y. native has a career-best 10 goals, 20 assists and 30 points this season. Boston made the Frozen Four before losing to the eventual champion University of Denver Pioneers. Tuch scored in the Terriers' national semifinal.

The 22-year-old scored 71 points, 31 goals and 40 assists in 121 college games. Montreal originally drafted Tuch in the second round, the 47th pick of the 2020 NHL Draft. If he doesn't sign the deal, Tuch could be a free agent. However, Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes appears to have avoided putting Tuch on the open market.

The Tuch brothers have earned a chance to play for Team USA at the 2023 IIHF World Championship. Luke appeared in four games and scored a goal in the 2023 tournament.

What does this mean?

Montreal will add another high-profile college player to its prospect pool. The Habs signed Tuch's college teammate Lane Hutson to an entry-level deal earlier in the week. The hope is that Hutson can make the same impact as former NCAA standout Cole Caufield.

Tuch is a big body who can set screens on par with Chris Kreider. He was also used in all phases of the game, including the power play and penalty kill.

The Habs will be hoping to win one more time with an American college player. It's unclear if Tuch will play for the big club or report to Laval of the AHL.