Best of the rest: Options for the Montreal Canadiens moving forward

The Montreal Canadiens added Ben Chiarot and Nick Cousins to the team but there are still options in Michael Ferland, Nikita Gusev, and Ryan Dzingel.

The offseason of 2019 hasn’t shaped up to be what many Montreal Canadiens fans were hoping, but the summer is not over yet. With the recent signing of Ben Chiarot, the back end seems to have gone from questionable to solid. We are still weak on the left side, so we have to hope 2018 2nd round pick- Alexander Romanov can come in next season and make a statement with his play, as it seems like Marc Bergevin is probably done with upgrades to that position.

The focus likely has shifted to forward as there are a few notable names left on the UFA market. A guy like Micheal Ferland could plug a hole leftover from the decision to trade Andrew Shaw at peak value receiving a 2020 second, 2021 third and a 2020 seventh-round pick.

He is known as a power forward who plays a rugged yet skilled game. He isn’t a guy that will knock your socks off with highlight reel plays but he will be a force in front of the net and could realistically put up 15-20 goals year in and year out. I would consider him a poor mans Anders Lee, who we ultimately missed out on when he decided to re-sign with the New York Islanders. I expect Ferland to get around 4.5 million on a five-year term.

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

Another player we could target is Ryan Dzingel. Coming off a career year where he put up 56 points in 78 games for the Ottawa Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets, he will likely be a highly sought after free agent.

His underwhelming postseason could drive his price down a little, making him an affordable option for the Canadiens. He didn’t necessarily show off his talent in the playoffs, seeing his minutes cut dramatically- from 14:16 a game to 11:21 and only potting 1 goal and 0 assists through 9 games.

He is a talented late bloomer, who didn’t become the player he is now until the age of 25*, spending multiple years bouncing from the AHL to NHL. He is a player who could really help Montreal’s top 6, which is in need of some juice. A realistic contract could be 5 years 5.5 mill and Montreal should jump on that.

The player I am most interested in is Nikita Gusev, an RFA whose rights are owned by the Vegas Golden Knights. He has yet to play a game in the NHL, and this could make him an affordable option for the Habs.

He has had an amazing KHL career to date, winning Most Valuable Player for this past season. He is an electrifying player who will put points on the board for your club, or at least he did that in the KHL recording 82 points in only 62 games.

The question is whether he can transfer that over to North America similar to how some have done in the past- Artemi Panarin, Alexander Radulov and Evgenii Dadonov to name a few. There is some risk involved though. He could just as easily have a hard time making the transition like some have in the past- Jiri Sekac and more recently Vadim Shipachyov (who was also signed to the Golden Knights).

Marc Bergevin struck out on multiple top free agents which seems like a trend due to a multitude of factors including; Montreal’s weather and high taxes as well as the pressure that comes with playing under Les Bell Center bright lights.

So if he is looking for a home run deal which it seems he often is, this could be the biggest steal of the off-season. What better time to take this risk than right after getting what could be the biggest steal of the 2019 NHL draft in Cole Caufield.

Ultimately the Canadiens would be wise to make an upgrade to the roster in the form of one of these three players, or an out of the box move. Standing pat isn’t an option as the Canadiens would find it in their best interest to make the playoffs this upcoming season.