According to Pierre LeBrun, the Montreal Canadiens’ general manager plans to be aggressive and hunt for big game when free agency opens on July 1. In March, Kent Hughes said to Sportsnet’s Eric Engels in an exclusive interview that he would do what he could in free agency but he wouldn’t be reckless. There’s a thin line between aggressive and reckless, hopefully, the GM is a good tightrope walker. Why is he changing course now? Read on to find out.
An Unexpected Bump for the Salary Cap
The salary cap is now expected to jump by around $4 million bringing it to $87.675 million. As a result, the Canadiens will have some money to spend in the short term and LeBrun believes Hughes is planning to spend it on short-term deals for high-value players.
The question then becomes; which high-value players will be amenable to signing for two years? That’s a good question and I guess the answer is; the ones who are still young and are not getting the long-term offers they believe they deserve. Then, a similar contract, but only for two years, would be an excellent deal to allow the player to “prove themselves” and then hit free agency again to cash in. That’s a risky play as Hughes could end up empty-handed if those players do get the offers they are after.
The other option could be to sign an older player who is still of top-six quality and make him an offer they just cannot refuse. In that scenario, you are rolling the dice and wishing your aging player can keep up with your youngsters or that time doesn’t catch up to him.
Which “Young” Players Could Hughes Target?
If LeBrun’s assessment is correct, which high-value players could Hughes be tempted to acquire? The highest-valued player would have to be Jake Guentzel. In his last three seasons, the forward who finished the season with the Carolina Hurricanes, has posted at least 73 points. He rode shotgun on the Sidney Crosby show for years, but the way he produced with the Hurricanes, he’s clearly more than Crosby’s sidekick. The NHL being what it is though, someone somewhere will be overpaying for his services and give him too much term as well.
Having won the Stanley Cup for the first time in his career, 28-year-old Sam Reinhart could be an interesting option, but he’ll be looking for a big payday. His last contract had a $6.5 million average annual value and the center had a career year with 94 points. If Hughes could sign him, his center depth would be sorted for a couple of years (providing Kirby Dach stayed healthy).
Anthony Duclair could also be a good addition, he would help bolster the Canadiens’ top six. He played 73 games this season, the first 56 with the poor San Jose Sharks and the last 17 with the Tampa Bay Lightning. In his time in Tampa, he got 15 points over 17 games. In San Jose, however, he could only produce 27 points for 42 points on the year. Still, I believe he could be a fantastic addition to Montreal.
Possible Older Additions Hughes Could Consider
Martin St. Louis’ former teammate Steven Stamkos has been in Tampa Bay for his whole career, logic dictates he’ll reach an agreement to stay there but, if he doesn’t, I’m sure Hughes will be giving a call to his agent. At 36, he could be looking for a two-year deal. Yes, the Canadiens are in a rebuild, but I think Stamkos would like a new challenge if an agreement cannot be reached in Tampa. After all, he’s already got a couple of Stanley Cups to his name.
Jonathan Marchessault has been on numerous Quebecers’ radar for a long time, but now, at 33, he could be a perfect fit if he can accept a reasonable offer on a short-term deal. He finished his season with 69 points and didn’t miss a single game. Honestly, I think signing a player just because he speaks French is unacceptable, however, signing one who still produces and accepts the kind of deal the Canadiens can offer, would be an astute move.
There were talks about the possibility of Matt Duchene signing with the Canadiens when he signed a seven-year pact with the Nashville Predators, but nothing came of it. After four years, the Predators decided to buy him out and Duchene signed a one-year $3 million deal with the Dallas Stars. He put up 65 points in 80 games, which is quite respectable. Would he agree to another discount deal? That’s how we could know for sure if he did consider Montreal at any point.
I can almost hear some of you scream that those additions would get in the way of the Canadiens’ younger players’ development, but I don’t think that would be the case. While Montreal has a ridiculous amount of blueliners, it’s far from being the same up front.
Related: Canadiens “Wine & Dine” Cayden Lindstrom at Combine; Should They Draft Him?
There are some who are NHL-ready but nobody is ready to play a top-six position. The closest is probably Joshua Roy but it’s not a certainty he’ll be a top-six player. As for this year’s first-round pick, even if it is a forward, chances are they won’t make the lineup next season and perhaps not in 2025 either. Owen Beck is likely to need some time in the American Hockey League (AHL) as well.
