Plekanec says he'd like to return to Canadiens: report

Tomas Plekanec said he would like to return to the Montreal Canadiens and play one more NHL season.

The 35-year-old center was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 26 and finished the season with them. He can become an unrestricted free agent July 1.
"We discussed that possibility when I got traded in February, so that's where it's at," Plekanec told TSN Radio Montreal 690 on Thursday, according to the Montreal Gazette. "As I said before, I'd love to come back to Montreal. That's my priority, and [general manager Marc Bergevin] said they'd like to have me back and that's where we are right now. But as I've said before too, I'm sure things are changing, things are planning for next season, so we'll see where we're at by the end of June."
Plekanec had two assists in 17 regular-season games with Toronto, and two goals and two assists in its seven-game loss to the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference First Round.
He had 24 points (six goals, 18 assists) this season for the Canadiens, for whom he played 14 seasons after being selected in the third round (No. 71) in the 2001 NHL Draft.
"I think (coach) Claude [Julien] knows me very well, he knows what I can do for the team, same as Marc, obviously," Plekanec said. "So I'm sure if the chance of me coming back ... I'm sure they know what kind of role I'm going to do and what kind of role I would have, so it's really again up to them and we'll see where it's at by the end of June."

Plekanec missed 16 games in 11 seasons from 2006-17 and had 605 points (232 goals, 373 assists) in 981 games with Montreal. He is two games shy of 1,000 in the NHL.
"This is my home," Plekanec said of Montreal. "I just got back … to me it's like coming home. My kids go to French school, they speak French as pretty much their first language, so for me it's like being home. I guess it's going to be like that for a long time."
The native of the Czech Republic said he'd like to finish his playing career with Kladno, a team there owned by Jaromir Jagr.
"I'd like to play one more year back home, in my hometown," Plekanec said.