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Early Look at Potential Free Agent Targets for Canadiens

Originally posted on Montreal Hockey Now
By Marco D'Amico | Last updated 5/3/24

For the Montréal Canadiens, the season finished in April. Yet, the end of the regular season wasn’t all bad.

The second year of a full rebuild under new management has started to bear fruit. For the first time in a while, the Habs boast a thrilling top-forward line with some.

But, with the spring being for contenders, the summer is where rebuilding teams go to work. The months of June and July will be when hockey fever will pick up again for fans of the Habs, San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, and others who missed the cut.

Although the Canadiens have taken a step forward, they still need to move out some pieces, and potentially add an impact veteran presence at forward. They currently have their veteran leaders on defence in Mike Matheson and David Savard, but they’ll need more than Brendan Gallagher in their top-9 if they want to help the Canadiens’ young top-six to take yet another step this season.

The summer will offer two pivotal moments to progress. First, there will be the 2024 NHL Draft, and then it’s on to free agency. Despite some bonus overage penalties, general manager Kent Hughes will finally have cap space this offseason, with more room potentially on the way if some key trades are made to snag a player who could help the rebuild take another step.

But who would be a good fit?

Montreal Canadiens Roster Decisions

The Montreal Canadiens have three impending RFAs (Arber Xhekaj, Justin Barron and Jesse Ylönen), along with three UFAs (Chris Wideman, Colin White and Tanner Pearson). It’s fair to assume that Xhekaj and Barron will receive minor raises, while Ylönen’s fate is a little murkier at the moment.

All three of Wideman, White and Pearson are not expected to return, in order to open up spots for some young players to jump into the lineup on the Canadiens’ bottom six.

Kirby Dach will hopefully be fit and raring to go next season. This will greatly reinforce the top six. From there, and with a good chunk of change, the Habs will need to fill one forward spot if trades aren’t made. In theory, this opens up the top of the free agency, as listed by CapFriendly.

As it stands, that features some interesting names. You can likely rule out big names like Sam Reinhart or Jake Guentzel, who will be signing monster deals this summer.

So, who could make sense for the Montreal Canadiens if available?

Free Agent Options

Teuvo Teräväinen could be an interesting present and future piece for a club looking to add speed and scoring punch to their lineup.

Teräväinen has consistently been in the 55-65-point range during his time in Carolina, coming off a 25-goal campaign this season and showing he can be much more than a playmaker.

For the Canadiens, the only issue is, Teräväinen will likely be looking to cash in on what could be his last big deal. He’ll be turning 30 before the start of the 2024-2025 season, which means that term will likely be a big aspect of any deal he signs; something the Canadiens are seemingly unwilling to give at the moment.

If the market sours on him and he opts for a short-term deal, that seems like a perfect time for the Montreal Canadiens to swoop in.

Steven Stamkos is perhaps the biggest dream for the Montreal Canadiens faithful, as the thought of Stamkos reuniting under the guise of head coach Martin St-Louis is just too hard to pass up.

Stamkos is still an elite player in the NHL, having potted 40 goals and 81 points in 79 games this season. So, the cost to acquire such a player is going to be high, but, given Stamkos is already 34 years old, he’s unlikely to ask for significant term on his next deal.

If the stars align, and Stamkos is willing to come to Montreal to be part of the process of turning them into contenders and is willing to take a short-term deal, the Montreal Canadiens should pursue that without hesitation.

The experience and value he could bring would be second-to-none and would vault the team from basement dweller to legitimate playoff contender next season.

Auston Matthews' first NHL fight comes in…the playoffs? Against Steven Stamkos?? pic.twitter.com/MQJIm4e4Qq

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 23, 2023

However, if Stamkos ultimately stays in Tampa or looks to play for a contender instead, another valuable option would be local forward Jonathan Marchessault. The former Conn Smythe trophy winner has been nothing but clutch for the Vegas Golden Knights since being plucked out of Florida back in 2017.

After potting the first 40-goal campaign of his career, the 33-year-old has priced himself out of Vegas and will likely be looking for a new home to finish his career. Coming back to his home province of Quebec could make sense on a short-term deal, as the Canadiens have the flexibility to make that kind of contract offer.

Marchessault would be able to slot into the Canadiens’ top 6 and help carry the load, while the young offensive prospects continue to develop. He would likely cost much less than Stamkos and could provide the necessary leadership and skill required to help the club take the next step in their rebuild.

Interesting Summer Ahead For Montreal Canadiens

By all accounts, the Montreal Canadiens are seemingly moving in the right direction. A strong haul of talent at the 2024 NHL Draft, perhaps some timely trades and a dip in free agency could be exactly what the doctor ordered for them to hit another level.

With some cap space, ample draft capital and a strong desire to continue to evolve, general manager Kent Hughes is set for what should be a very pivotal summer for the Montreal Canadiens.

This article first appeared on Montreal Hockey Now and was syndicated with permission.

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