Montreal Canadiens select Nathan Beaulieu with 17th pick in the NHL draft

ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Montreal Canadiens have selected defenceman Nathan Beaulieu with the 17th pick at the NHL draft.

Beaulieu had 12 goals and 33 assists in 65 regular-season games for the Memorial Cup champion Saint John Sea Dogs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

He added four goals and 13 assists in 19 playoff games and a goal and two assists in the Memorial Cup.

Apart from P.K. Subban, the Habs have an aging defence with the likes of Jaroslav Spacek, Hal Gill and Andrei Markov.

Montreal, which signed Markov to a US$17.25-million, three-year extension this week, finished with a 44-30-8 record in 2010-11.

The Canadiens lost out in seven games in the first round of the playoffs to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins.