With 2023-24 in the bank, one-time-rookie Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has another season of experience under his belt. More than that, he has another season of signed contracts in the books as he continues to shape his Habs team.
Almost inevitably, this annual list of the best bang-for-buck Canadiens deals has a few new entries, as Hughes continues to impress at the helm of the most storied franchise in NHL history. In fact, Hughes has direct ties to four of the team’s arguably top five non-entry-level contracts. Here they are heading into 2024-25:
5) Samuel Montembeault ($3.15 million cap hit)
Canadiens goalie Samuel Montembeault is technically one of the new entries here, despite having appeared on last year’s list. The reason is simple: an extension he signed in December 2023.
Montembeault’s last deal, for two years with a $1 million cap hit, obviously provided great value. The extension does potentially as well, with a $3.15 million cap hit up until 2027, just to a lesser degree. However, with Jake Allen having gotten traded, Montembeault has a chance to emerge as the Canadiens’ undisputed No. 1 goalie.
Montembeault’s stat line may not be impressive (16-15-9 with a 3.14 goals-against average and .903 save percentage), but his effort level is consistently high. With the benefit of a more experienced young defense in front of him, his current contract can become a bargain. After all, how many competent starters can you name with such a low hit?
4) Nick Suzuki ($7.875 million)
Year over year, Nick Suzuki holds steady at No. 4, with the only contract signed by ex-GM Marc Bergevin on this list. Considering Suzuki took his game to another level in 2023-24, the perennial all star, who just scored at nearly a point-per-game pace (33 goals, 77 points), probably could make a case to jump up a ranking or two despite the $7.875 million cap hit.
To be clear, Suzuki making this list with as high a cap hit as he has is more so a reflection of his worth to the Canadiens than it is a sign that the team is rife with bad contracts. A glimpse at the other names on here would confirm as much. As would a sampling of what he brings to the table as a pillar of the team who has established himself a legitimate No. 1 centre, not just on the team, but in the NHL in general.
Suzuki may not be the elite of the elite, but he most definitely is at the top of the Canadiens’ food chain and pay structure for a reason. That says a lot for someone on the verge of turning just 25 — and the outlook of the team he captains.
3) Kirby Dach ($3.363 million)
All eyes will be on forward Kirby Dach from a health standpoint, expectations being that he returns from injury to centre the second line. Based on the 38 points he scored in 58 games in 2022-23 and the rave reviews he received playing centre parts of that season, his $3.363 million cap hit could become one of the best bargains on the team, if not the entire league.
Related: Canadiens Will Be Better as Long as Dach Gives Them Clean Bill of Health
There is an obvious caveat, in the sense Dach missed all but two games in 2023-24 with a fairly serious knee injury. Even if he does come back, there will no doubt be concerns he’ll be able to return to the level at which he played two seasons ago, which is why he ranks as low as he does.
2) Alex Newhook ($2.9 million)
Alex Newhook returned from a mid-season lower-body injury himself (high ankle sprain) to fill in admirably for Dach down the stretch last season. Overall, his 15 goals and 34 points in 55 games almost perfectly mirrored Dach’s production from the season before, which is a relief in the sense the Canadiens do have a back-up plan of sorts down the middle.
However, it’s clear Dach should be seen as Plan A based on the higher ceiling he’s arguably demonstrated. From a contractual perspective though, Newhook has the edge with a lower cap hit, for a longer period of time. Indeed, Newhook only counts for $2.9 million against the cap up until 2027. Dach’s contract expires one season earlier.
Regardless, both seem to figure into the Canadiens’ long-term plans. When each of their contracts expire, they’ll still be restricted free agents, at which point they’ll logically cash in to significantly greater extents. If everyone can agree on that at least, there should be no argument that they each are incredible bargains in the here and now.
1) Mike Matheson ($4.875 million)
Almost everyone should also be able to agree Mike Matheson will be traded before the point at which he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2027. The point of contention is how much before, as, coming off literally one of the most prolific seasons for a Canadiens defenseman in franchise history (11 goals, 62 points), he represents an incredible bargain at just $4.875 million against the cap.
If it were just a one-off, there’d be a greater rationale behind moving Matheson right away to maximize his value on the trade market. However, ever since he came over from the Pittsburgh Penguins two summers ago, he’s proven he can sustain this level of production and performance. As he’ll be just 32 when his contract expires, there’s a case to be made the Canadiens benefit more from hanging on to the veteran as long as possible in a presumed bid to move up the standings, from both his skill and leadership as a team featuring an incredibly young defense.
Hughes obviously didn’t sign Matheson to his current deal. That was the Florida Panthers way back when. However, Matheson is personified proof the GM knows what he’s doing in general, as, at the time, the trade that brought him to town was considered great, but not necessarily his best piece of work in that department. It’s only gotten better with age, kind of like Matheson… and his contract.
