Some Free Agents That Could Help The Canadiens (SEGUIN STOOD ME UP)

Its  August 22nd (Say Happy Birthday to @CamBuzzBrushett), and you all know what that means…..

45 Days until the start of the NHL regular season!

I went to meet Tyler Seguin yesterday. Turns out he had something else to do last minute.

Damn Bruin. Oh well.

Ok I was Side tracked. Back to my point.

There are 45…. Im meeting Tim Connolly next week.

TIME FOR THE ARTICLE!

Kyle Wellwood- OK, why do we need another inconsistent forward? We already have Kostitsyn, Gomez and Gionta. While they have all had their good days, so has Wellwood. He may not be a top 6 forward on any team, but has played well everywhere he has been. At one point in Vancouver, he was the top scorer in the NHL. He has outstanding hands that would put any played on the Habs to shame. He is an accomplished playmaker who makes his linemates better, and could possibly help refuel Gomez. Wellwood has played with some talented players in his time in the NHL, like Mats Sundin, the Sedin twins and Ryan Clowe. In 373 games, he only has 8 PIM. Yes, you read that right. Only 8. That means he wont put you down a man much, but he has no physical ability ever. Wellwood probably won’t get you many goals, but he is a great playmaker who can rack up the assists if he can stay consistent. He can come cheap (out of 5 contracts he has signed in the NHL, the most he ever made was $1.2M), and with all the cap room MTL has ($4,529,490), a $525K-$900K contract can’t be a crazy idea.

Nick Boynton-Boynton was a former first overall draft pick, but he has never shown it. He never put up offensive numbers, despite what was expected of him. Boynton has good size and plays a physical game and is reliable when he plays within his limitations. He has a hard shot, but like most defensive defenceman with a good shot, he doesn’t use it nearly enough to rack up the goals. He had 43 shots last season, and only 1 in the 10 games he played with Philly after being claimed on waivers from the Blackhawks. If Markov goes back into another corner and doesn’t return, their defence issue will need to be clearly addressed, and bringing in a veteran like Boynton, who won a cup with Chicago, will really boost the Canadiens. He is still a bottom 2 defenceman, and at a cheap price, is worth the risk. He just isn’t as risky as Wellwood.

John Madden: Madden isnt’ going to get you 60 pointer ever, no matter what team he is on. That’s not his role. He is mainly used as a bottom 6 center that is an outstanding penalty-killer and shutdown pivot. His versatility enables him to play any role on a hockey club, but he would mainly be used as a 3rd or fourth line center, replacing Jeff Halpern. Madden has great speed and isn’t afraid to use the body to separate you from the puck and into a icy grave. He is good for around 30 points every season, even at the age of 38. To put in perspective, Halpern had 26 points pivoting between the second and third line, while Madden had 25 on the third and fourth. He won’t rack up a huge salary, and he can be used instead of young forwards who could benefit from another year in the minors.

Steve Bernier- It’s a good thing he is still young. At 26 years old, he hasn’t been a huge excitement since joining the NHL in 2005-2006. 30 points seems to be his average, and if he continues to play like he does now, 40 is the maximum he will get. So why would he be a good fit with Montreal? He is a talented depth winger who could fill on the third line if Andrei Kostitsyn is traded. He can play the role of power forward effectively, but he needs to have additional offense help for him to be effective, and can only do it in spurts. Owns great size and some untapped scoring potential, and by untapped I mean he has never been able to fulfill his top line scoring potential everyone expected.

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