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Leave it to Tomas Plekanec to break the chain of one year deals signed by Habs.

He may not be a big body, but Plekanec is another hardworking player willing to go to the corners and play the body. Add to that the fact that he possesses quite a bit of talent, and the Habs should find room for him on the NHL roster. Whether or not he plays each and every night remains to be seen.

Plekanec played his third season with the Bulldogs last year, compiling 29 goals and 64 points in 80 games. Let’s not forget that he was also MVP of the AHL All Star game last year.

At 189 pounds, he’s fairly sturdy for a guy his size (5’10). However, we don’t know how he will react to the big bodies in the Eastern Conference. While he did suit up for two games in the 03-04 campaign, he wasn’t given the opportunity to make much of a contribution.

The only real knock on the Czech is his size. How much of a factor will that be? At the very least, he provides even more depth for Claude Julien to work with, assuming that it’s a one way deal that he’s signed. A talented guy like Plekanec may even have the capabilities to step in on a scoring line if injuries were to hit the big club. For now though, perhaps we can pencil him in alongside Steve Begin on the fourth unit.

This could be the year where Tomas Plekanec makes the jump from promising prospect to polished professional.