The Montreal Canadiens found themselves in a peculiar spot when free agency opened on July 1. Right up against the cap ceiling and a handful of restricted free agents (RFAs) to sign, general manager Kent Hughes had his work cut out for him. Unlike many years before this one, Habs fans expected there to be a lack of activity from the team, but unlike previous years, management avoided criticism of being too complacent.
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With the team’s current rebuild still in its infancy, now was not the time to buy in and sign players to hefty contracts. Instead, the Canadiens kept their focus on acquiring and developing assets, drafting David Reinbacher with their fifth overall pick in 2023. They also acquired Alex Newhook from the Colorado Avalanche for a similar package to the one they used to pick up Kirby Dach.
After extending qualifying offers to six of their RFAs, Hughes’ next move centered around accumulating as much cap space as possible. That unfortunately meant saying goodbye to a well-known and respected face in the Canadiens’ locker room.
Canadiens Trading Edmundson Was the Right Move
The Canadiens gained some cap space by trading Joel Edmundson to the Washington Capitals, obtaining a 2024 third-round and seventh-round pick. The Canadiens retained 50 percent of the remaining term on his contract, which adds up to $1.75 million for one season. While Edmundson became a beloved name on the Canadiens’ blue line during his time in Montreal, his tenure was plagued with injuries. His veteran presence boded well with the rush of youth arriving, but with David Savard and Michael Matheson still carrying term, Edmundson quickly became the odd man out.
The departure of the 30-year-old defender also opens up the door for the likes of Jordan Harris, Kaiden Guhle, and Arber Xhekaj to earn more ice time in the lineup. All three blueliners are left-handed shots and could pair nicely with the veteran depth on the other side. It also gives the Canadiens a two or three-year window to develop their prospects in Laval and abroad, when spots will begin to open up and breed new competition amongst the youth.
After trading Edmundson, the Canadiens have $490,834 in cap space, plus an additional $10.5 million, with goaltender Carey Price likely heading back to the long-term injury reserve. One thing to keep an eye on is the pair of Xhekaj and Justin Barron becoming RFAs after the 2023-24 season. The Canadiens could gain more breathing room by finding trade partners for Mike Hoffman and Rem Pitlick, who both have one year remaining on their current deals.
Canadiens Add Depth to Laval with Keeper, Maillet
While all the focus is on what the NHL club will look like in Montreal, Hughes was still hard at work to finish some fine-tuning for the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League (AHL). The club announced the signing of defenseman Brady Keeper and forward Philippe Maillet to identical one-year contracts, paying the duo $775,000 each. The short-term deals help fill out a few roster spots in Laval after notable graduations at both positions leave the Rocket shorthanded.
Keeper, 27, spent last season with the Abbotsford Canucks of the AHL, appearing in 35 games and providing the team with depth and consistency on the back end. His time was unfortunately cut short due to a broken leg suffered on the last day of training camp the year before, forcing him to miss the entirety of the 2021-22 season. Maillet, 30, is a Quebec-born forward who returns to North America after spending the last two seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He recorded 22 goals and 53 points in 66 games with Metallurg Magnitogorsk last season.
As the teams around Montreal continue to build towards becoming more competitive in the 2023-24 season, Hughes and his staff were wise to stay on course and continue to think about the long-term goal. The upcoming season may be another one of suffering in the bottom half of the league, but the pieces in place and the team’s trajectory have a light at the end of the tunnel. How long it may take to reach that destination will depend on the success of their gambles, both in the draft and via trade.
