Montreal Canadiens Would Be Wise To Rely On Trades For Upgrades, Not Free Agency

The Montreal Canadiens have lots of cap space to use to upgrade their roster this summer. Based on recent signings, it would be smart for them to go the trade route rather than free agency.

The Montreal Canadiens have a few holes to fill on their roster this summer. The biggest need is a top four left shooting defenseman, but they could also use an upgrade at forward as well. With oodles of cap space, the Canadiens could be a huge player in the free agent frenzy.

However, dipping into the free agent pool is not the best avenue for the Habs to upgrade the roster. There are lots of good players available and they will soon hit the market, but the prices on July 1st are nothing short of outrageous.

In fact, the prices throughout the month of June have been astronomical. Jeff Skinner scored 40 goals and tied his career high with 63 points with the Buffalo Sabres this season. He was set to be an unrestricted free agent, but settled on an eight year contract with a $9 million cap hit annually.

More from Editorials

• Montreal Canadiens: Senators Rebuild At Crisis Point As Kent Hughes Moves Forward
• Montreal Canadiens: Jonathan Drouin Continues Charity Work In Montreal After Leaving Habs
• Montreal Canadiens: Laval Rocket Lineup Going To Be Must Watch
• Montreal Canadiens: Jesse Ylönen Contract Extension Analysis
• Montreal Canadiens: Top 31 Prospects – #31 Quentin Miller

Jordan Eberle played 78 games with the New York Islanders this season, scoring 37 points. He just signed a five year contract at $5.5 million per season. Carl Hagelin scored five goals in 58 games and inked a four year contract with a $2.75 million salary.

Erik Karlsson was set to hit the open market after an injury plagued playoff run amid rumours he would have to settle for far less than what was once expected. However, the San Jose Sharks ignored all the red flags and made Karlsson the third highest paid player in the league with an eight year deal at $11.5 million per year.

Kevin Hayes was ready to become a free agent this summer after being dealt to the Winnipeg Jets at the trade deadline. He was dealt again to the Philadelphia Flyers and they offered the center who just scored 55 points a seven year contract with a cap hit just north of seven million dollars.

And none of these players even made it to the open market where a bidding war could take place.

Now, imagine the Canadiens want to sign Matt Duchene when he becomes a free agent. A bidding war could take place between them and the Nashville Predators and the Columbus Blue Jackets. Duchene scored 70 points in 73 games last season split between the Ottawa Senators and the Columbus Blue Jackets.

If 37 points gets Eberle $5.5 million and 55 points gets Hayes $7.14 million and 63 points is enough to land Skinner a $9 million cap hit, what will it cost to sign Duchene? Especially if there are three or four other teams bidding for the center’s services? The minimum he’s going to accept is $9 million and it could cost closer to $10 million.

It sounds like way too much for Matt Duchene and that is because it is too much. But that is what he will command on the open market. Duchene would make the Habs a better team, but he would be overpaid before he even steps on the ice in a Habs sweater.

The same thing happens every July. Teams convince themselves that it’s okay to pay a little extra for a player because he fills a need. Then they fast forward two or three years only to find out the player isn’t as good as he used to be and would be overpaid at half the price.

Just look back at July 1, 2016. The biggest free agent signings were Milan Lucic, Kyle Okposo, Andrew Ladd, Loui Eriksson, David Backes and Frans Nielsen. The teams that signed them were sure they had made their teams better, even if the price tag was a bit high.

As it turns out, all six of those players are buyout candidates three years later. They all have at least three years left at a minimum of $5.25 million and Nielsen was the highest scorer of the bunch this season with 35 points. Not great for a group of players that were supposed to be top six forwards for the duration of their contracts.

The Montreal Canadiens need to upgrade the roster this summer. They have to find a top four left defenseman, and could use another goal scoring forward. Throwing money at free agents to fill those voids is sure to lead to buyers remorse in the near future.