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Montreal Canadiens: Key dates to wait for as the offseason begins

By Omar L

MONTREAL, QC - JANUARY 07: General manager of the Montreal Canadiens Marc Bergevin addresses the media prior to the NHL game at the Bell Centre on January 7, 2018 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Vancouver Canucks 5-2. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC - JANUARY 07: General manager of the Montreal Canadiens Marc Bergevin addresses the media prior to the NHL game at the Bell Centre on January 7, 2018 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Vancouver Canucks 5-2. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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With the 2018 Stanley Cup Champions being crowned, the real work has now begun for Marc Bergevin and the Montreal Canadiens.

It’s officially the offseason! The Washington Capitals took home their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, but now it’s time for the rest of the teams in the NHL to start the push for their slice of the pie. The Montreal Canadiens have already started getting the wheels going with a set of hires and signings. Additionally, their own combines are taking place leaving more information at their disposal.

As far as the rest of the offseason goes, there are some key dates to make a note of.

The First Player Buyout Period is the first stone to drop extending until June 30th. This will most likely begin on Sunday as it was set to being on June 15th or 24 hours after the Stanley Cup Final. That date would also be the deadline for First Club-Elected Salary Arbitration.

Next is the announcement of the salary cap. There have been many projections of what it could be for the 2018-19 season. A range from $78-$82 million is the most likely case scenario thanks to the revenue provided by the Vegas Golden Knights. The Habs don’t have to deal with any ‘cap crunch maneuvering,’ but it provides more room to get some of the team’s restricted free agents signed to new deals.

The NHL Draft comes after, and it’s an understatement as to how important that will be for the future of the Montreal Canadiens. With the third-overall pick, as well as, four selections in the second round, the Habs will have several chances to hit on a player.

Dallas will also be the site of a lot of dealing as the draft has proven to be the new transaction hot spot. Odds are if Max Pacioretty is traded, the draft floor, or at least the days leading up to it, are when it takes place.

Related Story: Extension talks with Pacioretty and Plekanec

Teams can then begin to start talking to pending unrestricted free agents. Montreal has the means to spend a little so their doors will be open. We can expect conversations with Tomas Plekanec and yes, John Tavares to occur at that time. Even though signing with the Habs may not be in the realm of possibility, Bergevin would be doing the organization a disservice by not at least talking to him.

By June 25th, all RFAs must be given qualifying offers. There are ten players on the Habs payroll who fit and Phillip Danault stands out among them. Whatever those offers are last until July 15th. If a team hasn’t agreed to some kind of an extension, they become free agents and can sign elsewhere.

Everything tampers off with Free Agent Frenzy on July 1st. Again, the Montreal Canadiens have the cap space to be active. But they could also choose not to go with the big fish and keep some of it available.

Next: The 2017 draft class could be the best

It’s going to be a busy and exciting set of weeks. It’ll be interesting to see how the Habs act around each of these dates as they all play a hand in what happens for them moving forward.

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