Montreal Canadiens Michael McCarron another shot with a one-year deal

Michael McCarron was the last player the Montreal Canadiens needed to sign, and so they have giving him a one-year contract for the 2019-20 season.

And with Michael McCarron done, Marc Bergevin has finished his restricted free agent to-do list for the summer. The Montreal Canadiens were in a position where many though McCarron’s time with the organization would’ve been over, but they instead chose to qualify him along with the other RFAS. Regardless of the reasoning behind it, the Habs wanted to give McCarron another chance to prove himself, and this deal is as much as a prove-it deal as you’ll see in the NHL.

The 24-year-old will be making $700,000 on a two-way contract for the 2019-20 season. If you remember, this was one of the hills Charles Hudon was willing to fight on as he didn’t want a difference in salary based on where he played if he wasn’t able to make the Montreal Canadiens out of camp.

McCarron had little leverage in these talks and will only make $125,000 if he is sent down to play in the AHL with the Laval Rocket.

The 2013 first-round pick skated in 32 games with the Rocket putting up 7 goals and 14 assists. This past season was his highest point-per-game production rate (0.656) in the AHL since his debut as a member of the St. Johns Ice Caps back in 2016 where he scored 17 goals and 21 assists in 58 games (0.655).

McCarron’s shoulder injury was a massive deterrent to what looked to be a solid year in the minors. Considering last season was meant to be his ‘prove-it’ year, it was a little surprising to see him back. But the Montreal Canadiens may not have felt McCarron got a fair shot to do what was expected of him and gave him one more shot to do it.

The problem is with the Habs having clear intentions to make the playoffs, it’s going to be extremely difficult for McCarron to make the team. The Canadiens are built on speed despite having their few players on the slower end and beating out Nick Cousins or Jordan Weal is going to be difficult.

McCarron has also been surpassed (organizationally at least) by a number of prospects and will need to find a clear role for himself for the Montreal Canadiens to continue to see him as an option. He may not even finish off as one of the better names in Laval with the likes of Nick Suzuki, Joël Teasdale, and Josh Brook expected to make significant impacts.

However, that doesn’t mean he can’t help the Rocket finally make the playoffs. McCarron’s year was cut short, but he could end up being a piece of the puzzle to a successful year in Laval.

Objectively, I still don’t understand bringing McCarron back given the change in player emphasis from when he was initially drafted to the present day. On the other hand, the Habs have been criticized for poor asset management and development in the past, and this could be a way to prove to themselves as well as McCarron that they gave him every opportunity to succeed.