The Montreal Canadiens have made their first significant re-signing of the off-season.

CKAC radio in Montreal reported Friday the Canadiens have re-signed center Maxim Lapierre to a two-year contract extension paying him $575K for next season and $800K for 2009-10.

Lapierre, 23, has spent parts of the last two seasons split between the Canadiens and their farm team in Hamilton.

Considered to be a pesky checking line center, he appears to have earned a full-time spot with the Canadiens next season after playing in each of their 12 post-season games this season, primarily in a checking role.

Lapierre earned $562K last season and it's likely his new salary will be below $1 million per season.

It's a good, affordable signing by the Canadiens, as Lapierre has the potential to grow into a good checking line forward and penalty killer.

With Lapierre's contract out of the way, management can now focus its attention on RFAs Andrei Kostitsyn, Jaroslav Halak and Josh Gorges, and UFAs Mark Streit, Bryan Smolinski and Michael Ryder.