Habs’ Tomas Plekanec: Pending Free Agent At Crossroads

Tomas Plekanec: Habs’ Pending Free Agent At Crossroads

Tomas Plekanec was drafted in the 3rd rd, 71st overall, of the 2001 NHL draft. Despite being selected that far back, he stands with  the 8th best point total from that year, the 7th best +/- rating, and 6th most games played. To say that the Habs stole a gem in the 3rd round that year is an understatement.

The statistics that Tomas Plekanec has put up in the regular season are above-average and represent a significant portion of the scoring dependent on by the Habs. He’s a true two-way player who does well in any situation, he’s a tremendous skater, and he sees the ice extremely well. His career as a Montreal Canadiens player is a very successful one so far as he is set to exceed the 500 point mark. With another 60 point season, he’s set to pass greats such as Bob Gainey (501), Ralph Backstrom (502), Bobby Rousseau (522), Toe Blake (527), and Guy Carbonneau (547) on the all-time Canadiens scoring list. It’s a sign of his longevity and steady production as a Montreal Canadiens player.

Provided by Hockey-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 9/5/2015.

Here are some of his highlights:

Dave Stubbs wrote a great article and Plekanec and his impending Free Agency (available here), within which Plekanec was quoted as saying this about playing in Montreal:

"“What more do you want as a hockey player than to be part of a place where everybody loves hockey?” “Would you rather be where people don’t care and don’t fill the building?”"

He has achieved so much throughout his career that what many fans really want to know is how badly he wants to win a Stanley Cup. This is what he stated about the Cup:

"“The Stanley Cup is the first thing and the most important thing. It’s hard to control as an individual, you need to have the team to achieve it. But it’s something I’m really looking forward to – being part of a team that goes all the way.”"

Hopefully that will put to bed any talks of his being European and not wanting the Cup as badly as a Canadian or American would.

Tomas Plekanec is now 32 years old, will be 33 when facing free agency, and just put up his 3rd best season in the NHL (points). He still plays over 19 minutes per game on average, is definitely a top 6 forward for the next few years at least, and actually has potential as a 3rd line centre should his offensive prowess slide too much to remain within the top 6. An extremely intelligent player, he is a vital asset to the Montreal Canadiens.

The question is, will he be extended or re-signed by the Habs, or will he head elsewhere once the season is complete?

What Plekanec decides to do will depend mostly on the following factors:

• Money: How much will he want to remain in MTL, and how much is MTL willing to pay?
• Health: Nobody knows this better than Plekanec and the Habs. They have all of the files to review and can make an educated decision.
• Vision of Role: The Habs have some up-and-coming talent in the minors that could impact how they view him being used in the future. If guys like Scherbak push their way into the top 6, will Plekanec be willing to play on the 3rd line?
• Family and Familiarity: These two can be in the Habs favour, as his family is well established and know Montreal well at this point. However, it can also be a detriment if they want a change of pace and to experience another location as a result (doubtful, but you never know).
• Legacy: As I stated above, Plekanec is heading into a season which will place him amongst some prominent Montreal Canadiens history. With another season of approximately 60 points, Plekanec would place himself in 18th spot on the all-time Habs scoring list. With another two seasons at over 40 points a piece (bringing him to approximately 639 points), he would be 11th on the all-time list, just behind Saku Koivu‘s 641. That’s may be of importance to Plekanec since passing Koivu would make him the highest scoring Hab to come from Europe in history.

Combine all of those elements together and I firmly believe the Habs will find a way to keep Plekanec around. The only major hurdle I foresee is the vision he has of his role on the team. Is he ready to become a 3rd line centre at some point and play a prominent role as a defensive specialist? Or will he rather head elsewhere and play a more prominent offensive role? I lean towards the former, but it’s his decision to make. The reason I mention it as the biggest hurdle is the following quote from a recent Dave Stubbs article:

"“I’ve been playing a lot of hockey in Montreal and I’ve been through a lot of coaches who have pretty much played me the same amount of time. For me, hockey is the first consideration. You don’t want to go somewhere that you don’t know what you’re going to get, or your playing minutes, or where you’re going to fit. For a player, it should be first on the ice then the other (financial) part. Why would I want to leave if I have opportunities for success and I play a lot?”"

If we imagine Marc Bergevin sitting across from Tomas Plekanec and his agent and letting them know that they envision a future 3rd line role for Plekanec, meaning reduced ice time, will it have a major impact on his decision to remain in Montreal?

Apr 2, 2015; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens forward Tomas Plekanec (14) skates during the warmup period before the game against the Washington Capitals at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

Surely. But only he knows how far it would take him towards leaving Montreal.
Recently, The Hockey Writers posited where Plekanec may land if he were to leave Montreal. I really don’t see the value of looking at those options yet as so much will change between now and the trade deadline.

What I would add to it is that if the Habs are struggling at the deadline, unlikely, but let’s say they are, there’s an extremely good chance that Plekanec would be sought after by all playoff bound teams. As a pending FA with so much experience and such great two-way playing ability, he would be tops on many lists.

Still, the more likely scenario includes his being extended by Marc Bergevin and the Habs, at a lesser cost than his current $5 million cap hit. With cap space increasing yearly in the NHL, in general, and the Habs need for a veteran to lead all of their youth, I don’t see him going anywhere.

Tomas Plekanec is a pending free agent finding himself at a crossroads in his career.

Do you see Plekanec being extended pre-season, in-season, traded before the deadline, re-signed post-season, or signing elsewhere post-season?

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