The Montreal Canadiens currently hold the first overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, which has provided plenty of debate and discourse. But once the draft comes and goes, all attention will turn to free agency which begins on July 13th.
Previously, the Canadiens were rumoured to be in the market to make a big splash in free agency, but due to a real lack of cap flexibility those plans seem unlikely to come to fruition.
Instead, the Canadiens will likely need to find the best bang for their buck in free agency, if they intend to make any signings at all. Currently, the Habs looked primed to continue rebuilding next year, which likely means another difficult season in the standings.
They still have to sort out which of their own pending free agents will be back. But then, if the Canadiens are looking to explore the free agent market, here are a few options that would make sense for the Habs.