Montreal Canadiens: Michael Grabner Would Bring Value on Cheap Contract

The Montreal Canadiens need some depth forwards. Michael Grabner would be a smart target for the team.

The Montreal Canadiens have some big needs this offseason. They needed a solid, reliable, veteran backup goaltender and they found one in Jake Allen. They didn’t really need another left defenceman that belongs on the second or third pairing, but they added Joel Edmundson anyway.

They still need to find a big winger who can score goals and play in the top six. A lamp lighter that can turn their dormant power play into an actual threat would be exceptional.

The Canadiens did need to find a long-term solution on right defence as well, but they chose to just extend Jeff Petry who will now fill that role for the next five seasons.

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Another need for the Canadiens that isn’t as flashy as a top four defenceman or a big goal scoring first line winger is the need for depth wingers. There are plenty of fans out there that think all Marc Bergevin can do is add fourth line wingers, but as it stands, who would be the team’s fourth line wingers?

In the postseason it was Jordan Weal, Dale Weise and Alex Belzile. That is, not good enough. There also aren’t all that many prospect wingers on their way that will make an impact at the NHL level anytime soon.

So, the Canadiens definitely have a need for depth wingers. They could do a lot worse than Michael Grabner who surprisingly joined the list of free agents yesterday.

Grabner has had an up and down career offensively. He scored 34 goals way back in 2010-11 in his first full season, but dropped to 20 the next. More recently, he scored 27 goals in consecutive seasons with the New York Rangers in 2016-17 and 2017-18, but dropped to nine in 41 games the following year and then eight in 46 games this season.

The Arizona Coyotes decided that the final year of his contract at $3.35 million was more than they wanted to pay.

While Grabner’s offensive production, one thing the 32 year old still brings on a nightly basis is speed. He remains one of the fastest skaters in the league and is aware enough defensively to be a big part of a team’s penalty killing unit.

He has also shown many times to have the ability to score 20 goals if put in the right situation. He can play either wing and won’t be getting a long-term deal after being bought out by the Coyotes who are looking to save every penny right now.

Would the Habs be a solid fit for the Habs? Absolutely. If he brings the offence that saw him reach 20 goals four times in his career, he would be an excellent option at third line right wing. Even if the pucks aren’t finding the back of the net off his stick, his speed and defensive ability would make him a valuable depth piece to play on a fourth line with young centre Jake Evans.

Don’t be fooled by Grabner being bought out by the Coyotes. Arizona would buy out their mascot right now if they thought it would save them a few bucks. Grabner still has plenty to offer and would be a smart target for the Canadiens on a one-year deal with a cap hit less than $2 million.