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Top 4 Must-Have Free Agents Canadiens Can’t Afford to Miss This Offseason
As the NHL season 2023–24 comes to an end, teams are starting to secure a postseason spot or lose their chances of making the playoffs. Unfortunately, for the third season running, the latter has sealed the destiny of the Montreal Canadiens.
Although a handful of players made notable progress this season—Nick Suzuki emerging as a legitimate number one center, for example, or Juraj Slafkovsky’s encouraging development—the team was once again unimpressive (29-35-12 as of Sunday, ninth in the Atlantic Division).
The fan base’s expectations have started to rise, and the team plans to add players during the off-season in an attempt to make the playoffs in 2024–2025 and beyond.
Although they have a number of intriguing prospects (Lane Hutson, David Reinbacher, “Montreal Canadiens are No. 10 in 2024 NHL prospect pool rankings,” The Athletic, 2/21/24) who could make big contributions soon, their current roster is devoid of players who could be added via free agency.
For instance, despite playing in just 49 games, Alex Newhook has 29 points, good for fifth place on the team. The team’s output has been highly erratic, with the exception of their formidable first line consisting of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky, as well as their star defenceman Mike Matheson.
They don’t have a genuine top six and instead rely on backup scorers like Joel Armia, Brendan Gallagher, and Joshua Roy.
The NHL usually requires prospects to adjust, as Slafkovsky’s rookie season shown. With this in mind, the Habs should consider bolstering their squad through the free-agent market.
Here are four players that Kent Hughes and company should think about signing this off-season, however there are many other pending unrestricted free agents (UFA) that might suit their needs as well.
The NHL usually requires prospects to adjust, as Slafkovsky’s rookie season shown. With this in mind, the Habs should consider bolstering their squad through the free-agent market.
Here are four players that Kent Hughes and company should think about signing this off-season, however there are many other pending unrestricted free agents (UFA) that might suit their needs as well.
Dakota Joshua, Vancouver Canucks center In the 2023–24 season, Dakota Joshua has been one of the league’s many breakout performers. He has only played in 58 games, but already he has set career highs with 16 goals (tied for third on the Canadiens with Armia and Slafkovsky) and 29 points.
Owing to a large salary increase from his current $825,000 cap cost, he is a tempting choice for supplementary scoring and has outperformed players like Gallagher, Anderson, and Rafael Harvey-Pinard. The native of Michigan is shooting at an absurdly high 21 percent as of right now, despite only having taken 76 shots on goal.
Los Angeles Kings defenseman Matt Roy would provide a much-needed steady presence on the right side of the blue line, especially considering the bulk of the team’s defensive corps is young and inexperienced.
It may seem strange to see two players with the last name Roy in a Canadiens uniform. Roy, who is four years younger than David Savard, would be a suitable replacement given that Savard’s contract expires after the 2024–2025 season and that right-handed defense prospects like Reinbacher and Logan Mailloux are still developing.
The Detroit native has at least 20 points in three straight seasons, including a career-high nine goals in 2022–2023—but his stats won’t blow anyone away.
It goes without saying that top winger Jake Guentzel will fetch a high price in this summer’s free agency. October is Guentzel’s birthday. He has dabbled with point-per-game productivity during 2018–19. With a career-best pace of 72 points in 63 games in 2023–24, he has scored an incredible 20 points in just 13 games while playing for the Hurricanes. He currently earns an average salary of $6 million a year from the Pittsburgh Penguins on his current contract.
He will surely surpass that total this summer, and in the past, his production has been comparable to that of players like Clayton Keller, Brayden Point, and current colleague Sebastian Aho. Considering his output, Keller earns a team-friendly $7.1 million a year.
In his 58 career postseason games, the forward from Nebraska has scored an even 58 points, 42 of which came in just 37 games during the Penguins’ back-to-back Stanley Cup triumphs in 2016 and 2017.
Despite his high price tag, he has demonstrated via his steady point output that he is worth the investment, even in the absence of a center like Sidney Crosby. If Hughes, Jeff Gorton, and the rest of the team handle their $4 million in cap space well (relative to last season), fans may get to witness him play for the Canadiens in 2024–25. When July 1st rolls around, a ton of talented players will be available for free.
