With another painful regular season in the books, Montreal Canadiens fans can finally say that the toughest part of the Habs’ ongoing rebuild is over. And after two years of finishing in the bottom five, it’s all uphill from here.
But if Montreal wants to keep momentum going in the right direction, this offseason presents some crucial opportunities for the organization.
With that in mind, here are five difficult decisions the Habs will have to make this summer.
Caufield’s contract
View this post on Instagram
Cole Caufield’s entry-level contract has officially come to an end.
It’s no secret that talks between the 22-year-old’s agent and the Canadiens have been ongoing for quite some time now. It’s also quite evident that the top line forward is interested in staying with the team.
The only questions that remain are how much money he deserves and how long they can sign him for. If the Habs can lock up Caufield on a long-term deal similar to Nick Suzuki’s, they’ll be able to keep this dynamic duo together for the better part of the next decade.
Here’s hoping the long-overdue announcement comes sooner than later.
The Drouin situation
View this post on Instagram
As an upcoming UFA, there’s a good chance that Jonathan Drouin has played his last game with Montreal.
The Canadiens have turned the page on a lot of former players and staff members over the past two years. And the odds of them giving Drouin another try after six disappointing seasons are slim.
While there is still the possibility of offering the 28-year-old a short-term bridge deal rather than losing him for nothing, fans of the Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts native should not count on it.
No matter what, Habs management will soon have to decide how to handle this.
The future between the pipes
View this post on Instagram
Carey Price is still on LTIR and shows no signs of making a comeback. Jake Allen, 32, is coming off his worst season with Montreal. Sam Montembeault has made big strides and is inching toward starter territory. Cayden Primeau becomes eligible for waivers starting next season.
That about sums up the Canadiens’ goaltending situation.
With the crease getting a little too crowded, don’t be surprised if one of Montreal’s netminders is moved over the summer.
Monahan
View this post on Instagram
Sean Monahan, who Montreal acquired in a cap space deal with the Calgary Flames last summer, has reached the end of his seven-year, $44,625,000 contract and will soon be a UFA.
While he’s been off the ice since December 5 due to a foot injury, the 28-year-old looked pretty good in the first two months of the season, netting 17 points over 25 games. He also proved to be a dependable, versatile centreman.
Rumours about him being traded to a contender at the deadline were swirling. But since that opportunity has passed, Montreal may be better off just signing him on an affordable deal ā if he has a clean bill of health.
He may not be a guy they expected to keep around, but if the shoe skate fits…
Another busy draft
View this post on Instagram
As they await the results of the upcoming NHL draft lottery, the Canadiens might be preparing for another busy draft day.
Along with selecting first overall at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, General Manager Kent Hughes also made two trades in the first round. The first one sent defenceman Alexander Romanov away to the New York Islanders, while the other brought forward Kirby Dach to Montreal from the Chicago Blackhawks.
Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Jeff Gorton has already confirmed that the organization will once again look to see if there are any trades available on the big day. “Kent [Hughes] by nature his personality is pretty aggressive so we’ll try to be aggressive and see what’s out there,” Gorton told reporters on April 14.
If Montreal ends up with a lower-than-expected draft pick in the lottery, they may just make a deal in order to move up a few spots. They also have the Florida Panthers’ first-round pick to play with.
Follow Channels and Categories