Free agency is now less than a month away and many teams are already looking ahead to when it opens up. There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market in mid-July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well. Next up is a look at the Canadiens.
Key Restricted Free Agents
G Sam Montembeault — Montembeault was forced into a breakout season in 2021-22 after injuries wreaked havoc on the Montreal crease. Claimed off waivers from the Florida Panthers at the beginning of the season, the idea was for Montembeault to serve as a third-string backup option to relieve the stress on the crease. With starter Carey Price missing most of the season, though, and backup Jake Allen battling multiple injuries throughout the year, the 25-year-old Quebec native started 30 games and made eight appearances in relief, posting an 8-18-6 record, .891 save percentage, 3.77 goals-against average, and one shutout. He struggled with consistency under his increased workload, usually being one of the biggest reasons Montreal won or lost. Despite the poor performance, though, he did pretty much what you’d expect a third-string option to do in that situation. Montembeault will almost certainly be issued a qualifying offer and retained, considering that Allen remains the only healthy netminder under contract for next season.
D Alexander Romanov — Montreal’s 38th overall selection in the 2018 draft continues to track better than expected. While the scoring hasn’t been there for Romanov just yet, he was drafted for his defensive upside, and he’s beginning to deliver. Thrust into a top-four role this season in Shea Weber’s absence, Romanov provided good defensive results, albeit in a slightly sheltered role. He’ll likely increase his point totals somewhat from his 13 points in 79 games in 2021-22 under a surely more gifted team next season, tracking to be an important complementary defender in Montreal for years to come. Depending on how confident Montreal is in his development, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see them try to lock Romanov in longer-term this offseason to ensure some lasting value.
F Rem Pitlick — One of the best waiver claims in the league this year (and one-third of Montreal’s band of Pitlicks), 25-year-old Rem finished the season with 37 points in 66 games split between the Canadiens and Minnesota Wild. Getting top-six minutes in Montreal, he managed 26 of those points in his 46 games with Montreal. Pitlick’s poor advanced defensive numbers and sky-high 23.1 shooting percentage are some red flags, though, and it’s hard to imagine Montreal giving Pitlick anything longer than two or three years to stay around as a depth scoring option.
Other RFAs: F Joël Teasdale, F Michael Pezzetta, F Nathan Schnarr, D Corey Schueneman, D Josh Brook, D Kale Clague, G Cayden Primeau
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
F Mathieu Perreault — While a stat-line of nine points in just 25 games doesn’t scream “keeper material,” there’s a solid case for Perreault to stick around in Montreal uniform. Injuries were the primary limiting factor in his ice time (including a scary eye ailment), and he was one of the team’s better two-way players in a bottom-six that got routinely caved in. The 34-year-old veteran of 708 NHL games could be let go in favor of giving more time to younger players in the system, though.
F Tyler Pitlick — Rem’s cousin, Tyler arrived in Montreal mid-season courtesy of the Tyler Toffoli trade in February. He played just 14 games as a Canadien, though, averaging under 10 minutes per game. While injuries and COVID made him unavailable some nights, he didn’t exactly play his way into a regular role. After scoring just five points in 39 games this season between Montreal and Calgary, it could be the end of the NHL road entirely for the 29-year-old.
Other UFAs: F Alex Belzile, F Cedric Paquette, F Jean-Sebastien Dea, F Laurent Dauphin, F Lukas Vejdemo, D Louis Belpedio, D Sami Niku, D William Lagesson, D Xavier Ouellet
Projected Salary Cap Space
Montreal currently stands with just under $2MM in cap space this offseason, but that number is likely to increase dramatically by the time free agency rolls around and into next season. Trade rumors have been swirling around many members of the Canadiens, and it’s likely that at least one if not all of Jeff Petry ($6.25MM cap hit), Josh Anderson ($5.5MM cap hit), and Mike Hoffman ($4.5MM cap hit) are dealt. There’s also the possibility that Price’s $10.5MM cap hit may land on long-term injured reserve.
The Canadiens are unlikely to be big spenders in free agency regardless of their cap situation, but they’ll be able to re-sign everyone they wish despite the seemingly tight financial situation at first.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.
As a Bruins fan I should be elated, but I take no joy in a proud franchise brought to ruins. This is, of course, the time to blow it all up. There’s nothing that can be done about Price’s untradeable, un-buyoutable contract other than to keep its glaring horror front and center as a warning to never, ever, ever, ever do that again.
As far as everything else goes, sure, dump Petry, Hoffman and Anderson to whomever will take them for whatever they’ll offer for them. All three are overpaid, but can still produce middle-of-the-lineup hockey. There’s no free agent on the roster other than Rem Pitlick who’s worth re-signing beyond league minimum, if that much. (Primeau might have been terrible in Montreal, but he was electric in Laval, and nearly stole the series from Springfield singlehanded. AHL teams need goalies.)
Same with Montembeault. I dislike dumping on a former Springfield goalie, but he’s got 63 games now over three seasons of poor NHL play to show. Unless the Habs are definitely going for the tank over the next few years — and they should — there’s no reason to offer him a contract. Go sign Andrew Hammond again, for heaven’s sake.
And anyone else on the roster who won’t be under 30 in three years … unload them. All of them. Wideman, Savard, Dadonov, clean sweep. Time to go full-on Arizona.
Wouldn’t you say the same thing about the tire fire that is boston? No where near good enough to win a cup just happy to make the playoffs a whole lot of players on the decline and by far the worst prospect pool in the league and its not close lol remember when they took 2 busts and debrusk before barzal,chabot and Connor! Probably the biggest draft blunder ever
The thing is to squeeze Montreal by refusing to trade for these bloated contracts w/o receiving significant sweeteners. The same should be for Vegas, Trono, Nucks, Pens, Boston and FLA. The Avs will get away with trading some long term contracts as their players are relatively young (Girard notably)