Signing a player to a new contract is always a gamble, and in the case of the Montreal Canadiens, it’s not one that always pays off.
While stats are not the only indicator of a player’s value, they do provide a pretty clear picture of what they should be paid. As of now, the Canadiens have a handful of contracts that stand out in that respect.
Here are three Habs players whose salaries don’t necessarily fit.
Joel Armia
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Cap hit: $3.4 million
Percentage of total salary cap: 4.1%
2023-23 Stats: 43 GP, 7-7-14
Shortly before he was relieved of his duties as general manager, Marc Bergevin re-signed Finnish forward Joel Armia to a four-year, $13.6 million deal.
To be fair, Armia was not too far removed from a season that saw him net 16 goals and 30 points in 58 games. But with that said, the 30-year-old bottom-six forward has been regarded as inconsistent shortly after arriving in Montreal in 2018.
Since signing his latest contract, though, his production has fallen off to a point that a permanent spot in the NHL is in question for him.
Brendan Gallagher
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Cap hit: $6.5 million
Percentage of total salary cap: 7.8%
2023-23 Stats: 37 GP, 8-6-14
Brendan Gallagher is arguably still the heart and soul of the Canadiens. And it’s hard to put a price on something like that.
But the Habs did when they signed the gritty forward to a six-year, $39 million contract extension in 2020.
Once a top-six forward, Gallagher has struggled with countless injuries in recent years. In fact, the last time the 31-year-old played a full season with the team was back in 2018-2019.
Injuries aside, his production has suffered as well, causing him to be demoted down to Montreal’s third and fourth lines.
Christian Dvorak
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Cap hit: $4.45 million
Percentage of total salary cap: 5.3%
2023-23 Stats: 64 GP, 10-18-28
Forward Christian Dvorak’s contract is not abysmal, but it is still an overpay nonetheless.
Acquired for a first and third-round pick from the Arizona Coyotes in 2021, the 27-year-old was entering the third year of a six-year, $26.7 million contract when he arrived.
With the recent departure of Jesperi Kotkaniemi, fans were expecting Dvorak to fill in as a top centre, but unfortunately for Montreal, they seem to be getting the short end of that deal.
Now two seasons into his Montreal tenure, Dvorak’s best campaign with the Habs saw him score 11 goals in 56 games. Last year was much of the same, with the Illinois native netting just 10 goals and 28 points over 68 games.
With the Habs’ centre depth expanding, it’s unlikely that we see him atop the scoring leaderboard.