Montreal Canadiens: The 2017 vs. 2018 Free Agency mentality
The way the Montreal Canadiens approached this past Free Agent Frenzy was different from last year’s but similar at the same time.
Free Agent Frenzy is the day for high hopes and potentially future disappointments. The Montreal Canadiens were going into it with a decent amount of cap space despite still having a set of restricted free agents to re-sign. However, there was a clear difference in design between this year’s event and last year’s.
For starters, the Habs didn’t go for or acquire one of the top names on the market. Last year they did when it was confirmed that Karl Alzner wasn’t going to re-sign with the Washington Capitals. Alzner had played for no other organization in his then nine-year NHL career and decided to have the Montreal Canadiens as his new team.
Marc Bergevin was making all the stops to get the 2007 fifth overall pick to join the team. And the interest appeared mutual as Montreal was the only city Alzner visited during the free agent discussion window.
Alzner says on SN that MTL was the only city he and his wife visited - spoke to others on the phone - and it left quite an impression. #Habs
— Heather Engel (@engelheather) July 1, 2017
The Habs signed the then 28-year-old to a five-year $23.125 million contract that included a seven-team no-trade list. The veteran also saw his cap hit jump from $2.8 million to $4.625 million. Although Alzner was a coveted player heading into July 1st, many questioned whether it was a signing Montreal even needed to do. Additionally, the deal for the defenceman was a precursor for the eventual departure of Andrei Markov from the organization.
Of all the players brought on, Alzner was the only one guaranteed to make the team out of camp.
AHL Depth Mark I
The rest of the players signed that day were at first, destined for the AHL. The Montreal Canadiens had a new minor league in affiliate with the Laval Rocket and were looking to build off the success of the final season in St Johns.
The team made the playoffs for the first time in five years, but it was a last-minute entry. They had the Syracuse Crunch to thank for that. St Johns finished their regular season defeating the Toronto Marlies though it was Syracuse’s victory over the Utica Comets that clinched them a spot. Their post-season berth didn’t last too long as they were eliminated in the first round in four games.
With a new franchise in Laval ready to grow, getting the team back into the playoffs would be a great way to kick off their inaugural season. Keeping that in mind, the Montreal Canadiens signed Peter Holland, Byron Froese, and Matt Taormina.
Taormina was coming off an Eddie Shore Award-winning season with the Crunch putting up 15 goals and 45 assists. That production continued in the playoffs scoring with 20 points in 22 games. Froese and Holland had their stints in the NHL, mostly with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but played their best in the minors.
Joe Morrow could’ve been an option for the Laval Rocket as well. Based on his need for a reset, starting the season in the AHL made sense at the time of the signing, but Claude Julien, who had a history with the player, gave him an opportunity to improve in the NHL.
Smaller Names
The top players available at this past Free Agent Frenzy included John Tavares, Paul Stastny, and James van Riemsdyk. However, the Montreal Canadiens weren’t given the opportunity to speak with Tavares, and the other names choosing to sign with other teams were a blessing in disguise.
The mentality going into this season was different from last. Montreal was expected to make the playoffs and get further into the playoffs than the first round. But with the transition to youth and a new focus on drafting and developing, those big free agents could’ve done more long-term damage than short-term benefit (except for Tavares).
The Montreal Canadiens instead had a tame July 1st starting with bringing back Tomas Plekanec on a one-year deal. It was a drop in salary from $6 million to $2.25 million while performance bonuses throughout the season could lighten the decrease.
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His AAV also matches the role he’ll be fitting on the Habs next year as a depth centre. Whether that’s on the third or fourth line depends on who succeeds and who doesn’t at camp. But Plekanec has pedigree on his side to play in the same spot he was in before getting traded.
Next up were Matthew Peca and Xavier Ouellet. One was left unsigned while the other was bought out. Peca and Ouellet added more weight to the internal competition ahead of the Montreal Canadiens at training camp as both could easily play in the NHL or be sent to play with the Laval Rocket.
The two have something to prove ahead of next season, and they’ll be using the Habs as a caveat to do that.
AHL Depth Mark II
Laval’s season went in the complete opposite direction than many had hoped. With a new coaching staff in place highlighted by Jöel Bouchard and Alexandre Burrows and a boatload of prospects set to make their debut, the talent on the team should skyrocket.
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However, it’s not ideal to base the success of a team on names who have never been there. The likes of Alexandre Alain, Jake Evans, Lukas Vejdemo, and Will Bitten can become dominant forces in Laval at some point. But they’re going to need help and other plays to insulate their skills.
Another thing to keep in mind was the Rocket was losing a few of their key contributors in Chris Terry and Adam Cracknell. And thus the Montreal Canadiens moved to Phase II of the 2018 Free Agent Frenzy.
Kenny Agostino and Michael Chaput were signed to respective one and two-year deals. Agostino has been a top player on every AHL team he’s played for in his career. He’s aspiring to make an impact at training camp and perhaps challenge for a spot on the Habs, but odds are he starts his season in the minors.
To add-on to that, five other players were signed to AHL deals. The organization was going for depth and appear to have learned from their mistakes the year before. Players the Habs added to support the Laval Rocket ended up being called up to play in the NHL, and there wasn’t enough talent to properly re-fill those holes.
Next: Can Agostino Make the Team?
There are different ways to rationalize the plan of action between the two Free Agent Frenzies. As much as it could be about expectations heading into the following season, it could also be due to hopes for players within the organization. Montreal looks determined to rely on the grown talent within their system and take the necessary time to let them grow.