Montreal Canadiens: The 2017 vs. 2018 Free Agency mentality
By Omar L
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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.