Examining the Pros and Cons of the Habs Signing Stamkos
With the playoffs soon coming to and end, off-season speculation will continue to swirl around Steven Stamkos and where he could potentially land in free agency. What are the odds of Stamkos landing in Montreal and should the Habs even pursue Stamkos? Let’s consider some of the Pros and Cons.
Pro: Habs Add Much Needed Scoring Threat
The Habs need to find ways to score more goals! Adding a pure sniper like Stamkos would give the Canadiens some much needed help in that category. His presence on the roster would allow other players to gain better match up opportunities as well, which could even create more offense for the Habs.
For example in one area where Stamkos will help the Habs, is on the power play. The Canadiens struggled mightily last season on the power play, only connecting on 16.2 percent of the time, which ranked them 25th in the NHL. Stamkos was able to score 14 goals and have 23 points on the power play last year. He would surely be able to help the Habs struggling power play.
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Pro: His Versatility in Habs Lineup adds Depth
Steven Stamkos is an elite #1 center who could finally fill a huge void at Center that the Canadiens have been missing. However, Stamkos could also fit in very well on the Right Wing next to Alex Galchenyuk and Max Pacioretty. That would be one of the most elite first lines in the NHL, considering that all three players were able to reach the 30 goal plateau last season!
Adding Stamkos on the right wing of the first line would allow Brendan Gallagher to play on the second line with Tomas Plekanec. This would create more scoring depth outside of the first line. It would essentially take the scoring pressure off Max Pacioretty. Gallagher and Plekanec would also have much better match-ups against opposing second pairing defensemen.
Pro: He’s heading into the Prime of his Career
Most players who have Stamkos’ abilities and hit free agency are closing in on 30 years old or older. Players like Eric Staal, David Backes, Loui Eriksson, and Andrew Ladd are all great players and would help the Habs next season and beyond. But they are all over the age of 30 and would be risky long term deals.
Steven Stamkos is only 26 years old and will be in the prime of his career for years to come. So signing Stamkos at his current age to a seven year deal doesn’t seem like that much of a risk.
Con: Contract
The Habs would have to juggle their roster around to fit Stamkos in their salary Cap. It was rumored that Stamkos rejected an 8.5 million dollar cap average offer last year. This would mean the Canadiens having to make tough decisions on what players to trade away or buy out this summer.
Possible cap casualties could be Alexei Emelin, Lars Eller, and David Desharnais. Signing Stamkos could back the Habs into a corner with their cap. It could also force the Canadiens to trade one or more of these players without getting much value in return. Another factor is the Canadiens have a few other needs to fill on the roster. So committing that high of a cap number to one player could leave the Canadiens thin in terms of roster depth.
Con: Causes Potential Issues for the Future
Having Stamkos and P.K. Subban eating a fair chunk of the Canadiens Salary Cap could hinder other players from getting paid down the road. Players like Alex Galchenyuk, whose contract ends next year, Carey Price whose contract ends in two seasons, and Max Pacioretty whose contract ends 3 years from now could all be affected. This could force the Canadiens to make tough decisions on who to keep on the team and could force them into making more trades.
Players like Tomas Plekanec and Jeff Petry, who carry higher cap hits, and some of the players previously mentioned, could be forced out in the next few seasons or possibly sooner. The NHL salary cap is not always a lock to increase every year either, making it more of a risk of signing Stamkos looking ahead 3 years down the road.
Next: Canadiens Free Agent Options: Milan Lucic
Final Thought
Even though the salary cap hit will be very high and the Canadiens will have to make some changes to their roster now and in the future as well, the Habs should sign Stamkos. His value is far too great to pass up considering franchise players don’t hit free agency that often. Especially at such a young age. If Stamkos hits free agency, hopefully our Habs make him an offer he can’t possibly refuse, giving our team the offensive flare we have been missing.