Montreal Canadiens: Five Free Agents They Were Right To Avoid

4. Brandon Tanev: GP: 80, G: 14, A: 15, P: 29

Brandon Tanev is exactly the type of player that Marc Bergevin has acquired about 423 times since he became general manager of the Montreal Canadiens in 2012. He is a feisty, gritty, veteran winger who can score some goals, but will never play in the top six, and might not even be a third line winger.

Think Brandon Prust, Colby Armstrong, Dale Weise, Devante Smith-Pelley, Brian Flynn etc… I think you get the picture.

That’s why I firmly believe Bergevin was in touch with Tanev’s camp shortly after the free agent negotiating window opened. When Shaw was traded on the eve of free agency, I thought Bergevin may be freeing up a roster spot for the former Winnipeg Jet.

Tanev is a solid depth player. He often played on a third or fourth line with Adam Lowry and Andrew Copp with the Jets. He scored 14 goals and 29 points this season and hit almost everyone that moved in an opposing jersey.

Tanev is a capable bottom six player, but the $3.5 million cap hit and especially the six year team on his new contract is about two times more salary and three times more term than he deserves. He could have played a fourth line role for the Habs, but not at that enormous cost.