Another example of what the Montreal Canadiens need to do now!

The Ottawa Senators got ahead of the negotiations signing Thomas Chabo to an eight-year deal, and the Montreal Canadiens need to get going with Max Dom.

It doesn’t look as if general managers in the NHL want to deal with what some teams are dealing with now. At the time this post is written, the likes of Kyle Connor, Patrik Laine, Brayden Point, and Mikko Rantanen are still unsigned. Luckily the Montreal Canadiens cleared up all their contract headaches over the summer, but decisions will need to be made in the next 10 or 11 months, and it starts with Max Domi.

Domi will be the Habs big restricted free agent this upcoming offseason though he’s not the only one around the league. And oddly enough, general managers are getting their RFAs signed ahead of the season.

Andrei Vasilevskiy signed over the summer for eight years for $9.5 million per season. Clayton Keller signed a long term deal which will see him make over $7 million annually and Thomas Chabot is the latest. Cap space isn’t a problem for the Senators – considering they don’t have much to pay for – and getting Chabot on a full-term deal at an $8 million cap hit is truly valuable.

Some believe he can bring an Erik Karlsson-like flair to the Senators blueline and he was up there in defensive scoring last season before the team fizzled out injuries caught him.

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The Coyotes, Senators, and Lightning (well maybe not them so much) have alleviated their big headaches, and the Montreal Canadiens need to get theirs done. Domi could be a problem considering the highest-paid forward on the team is Jonathan Drouin, who makes $5.5 million.

Drouin at centre didn’t work and the most he’s ever gotten in an NHL season was 21 goals and 53 total points back with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He did tie that same total this past season, but the jury is still out on whether the 24-year-old can take the next step or not.

Insert Domi who played down the middle for the entire season, set offensive milestones in goals and overall points, and did it all while making a little over $3 million. Arizona and Ottawa took a projective approach with their negotiations and gave their players an attractive deal that could still be valuable on both ends.

Right now an eight-year $64 million contract would be perfect for the Montreal Canadiens and Domi. However, if Bergevin waits until the end of the season and Domi exceeds his output, he will surely demand a number much higher. That may not be a total issue now, but it can make things a little claustrophobic once the other players come up.

Think of Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Ryan Poehling. What about Brendan Gallagher? The Montreal Canadiens are approaching the endgame, and they are no longer in a state where their salary structure doesn’t matter.

Their stars need to be paid, and Bergevin needs to try to get Domi signed sooner rather than later. We learned at the golf tournament that contract negotiations are on, and hopefully, a finale is reached.