Five Free Agents The Canadiens Could Target This Off-Season

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.

Kris Letang

This would be a splash, and an unlikely one at that, but it could still be a possibility, especially with Jeff Petry’s future up in the air. Earlier this season, Petry requested a trade, but it appears as though he isn’t opposed to returning to Montreal next season either.

Kent Hughes has a tough decision to make regarding Petry’s future with the organization, especially if there are decent trade offers on the table.

This brings us to Kris Letang, a Quebec born defenseman that has won three Stanley Cups in his lengthy career with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Now, Letang is a pending UFA, and the cap situation in Pittsburgh might make it difficult to keep the defenseman in the Steel City.

The Penguins cup window may be over, with their last playoff series win coming in 2018, before falling in the second round. They may choose to move on from Letang, regardless of the cap space available.

If that’s the case, the Canadiens may be interested in Letang, especially if Jeff Petry is traded before Free Agency opens. While the Canadiens may not be in win now mode, and instead are focusing on player and prospect development, having a veteran presence on the blueline is important. Letang would certainly provide that for the Habs.

Letang put up 68 points in 78 games this season for the Penguins, including 22 points quarterbacking the powerplay, as he has done for the last decade in Pittsburgh. The Canadiens need someone to do that for them, and possibly mentor some of the other young defensemen in the organization as well. A 1-2 year deal at $5-6 Million would be good for Montreal, but Letang may want more.

Ultimately, it will come down to price and fit for Letang. He’s from Quebec, so he may be open to coming home, but he may still want to compete for the cup, and let’s face it, Montreal just can’t offer him that right now. And if Jeff Petry is not traded, you can pretty much rule out Letang coming to Montreal.

Brett Kulak

There has been a lot of talk about the possibility of Ben Chiarot returning to Montreal this off-season, something Chairot has already stated he’d be open to, but I’d much rather see Brett Kulak return to Montreal next season. I am not shy about my love for Brett Kulak’s game, as I felt he was often underrated during his time here in Montreal.

Kulak is the perfect kind of defenseman for the team Kent Hughes is trying to build. He’s incredibly mobile and has great puck moving skills while still being reliable on the defensive end of the ice. He’s not necessarily going to blow you away with his play, but he plays such a subtle game that you often times don’t have to worry about him back there. He just makes plays, and he did that for all four years he was in Montreal.

Ben Chiarot on the other hand, isn’t what the Habs need on the blueline, in large part because Joel Edmundson and David Savard already play a similar style. Instead, the Habs need to find mobile, puck moving defensemen, and Kulak fits that mold. But if I were Ken Holland, the Oilers GM, I wouldn’t let Kulak go.

The 4th goal in this game vs the Oilers is just a perfect example of what Kulak brings, and maybe why Ken Holland wanted to trade for Kulak. He jumps up in the play, outwaits Mike Smith and gets the puck to the front of the net, which is a great way to create offense. A lesser player takes a weak shot from a bad angle, or maybe overthinks it and doesn’t even create a chance. Not Kulak.

The Canadiens already have a log jam at left defense though, which could make things tough to bring Kulak back. Romanov and Edmundson are holding down spots, and Jordan Harris and Kaiden Guhle are close to being NHL regulars too.

At just 28, I’d love Kulak back, especially because he will likely still be relatively cheap, and I think he could buy more time for some prospects in the process, allowing them to play in the AHL instead of the big show.

Valeri Nichuskin

Valeri Nichushkin has been one of the most underrated players in the NHL over the last few seasons. At a cap hit of just $2.5 Million he put up 52 points in 62 games this season as a member of the Avalanche. But it’s not just points that makes Nichushkin stand out, he’s an analytical darling as well. For this reason, he may be a hot commodity this off-season.

And if that’s not good enough, the man is also 6 foot 4, so he’s got the size as well. Now let’s think for a second here, where could the Canadiens use a big, left-shot winger that also has a ton of skill? Yeah I think the Habs have a spot for him, right on that top line with Caufield and Suzuki. That’s a pretty solid free agent pitch. The question is, will Colorado let Nichushkin leave? And can the Habs win the bidding war for him if they’re interested?

It certainly wouldn’t hurt to try. Nichushkin is only 27 years old, and is coming of the best season in his career. But as mentioned previously, he’s also very good analytically, something the latest Habs hire Christopher Boucher probably knows a little bit about. I think this move would make a lot of sense for Montreal, but like always, it will come down to the contract, and mutual interest.

It’s tough to go from the high-flying Colorado Avalanche to the Montreal Canadiens who just finished last place. And while the Canadiens can offer him playing time and a spot on the top line, the Canadiens may not be willing to throw a ton of money Nichushkin’s way, especially with the little cap flexibility the Canadiens already have. That being said, signing Nichushkin would go a long way for Montreal and they should absolutely kuck tires on him. He’s got size, a great set of hands, and he’s tremendous defensively as well. What’s not to like?

Believe it or not, I don’t think Patrice Bergeron will end up in Montreal this summer, instead I expect the Canadiens to look for players that can help them for years to come, and don’t break the bank. Valeri Nichushkin is an option, but he will likely be expensive, perhaps even north of $5 million per season. Mason Marchment is a similar player to Nichushkin, but will likely come at a much cheaper price.

Marchment had a breakout year in Florida, putting up 47 points in 54 games, all while only playing 14 minutes a night. And while that’s very impressive, Marchment is already 27, which might have some people wondering if he’s actually that good, or if he just benefited from playing on a stacked Florida team that won the President’s trophy. People are going to want to make sure he can do it again.

This isn’t to say teams won’t be interested in him, but it’s unlikely Florida retains him and the price might not be as high for Marchment as it could be for Nichushkin. And much like Nichushkin, Marchment could be a good fit on the Caufield line. He’s also 6 foot 4 and has the skill to play on that line. And Marchment is also very good analytically, including in his own end, an area the Habs struggled in last year. That’s a skillset the Canadiens can’t pass up on.

In the highlights above, you can watch Marchment put up six points in a Florida win, and you really start to see just what he can provide the Habs. I expect multiple teams to show interest, but the Habs can offer him a spot on the top line, on a team about to start exploding with talent. That may be something to good to pass up on.

Whatever the Habs do this Free Agency, I expect Kent Hughes and his team to be busy, making trades and exploring the market. The Habs may non go after the big fish like Gaudreau and Forsberg but they still have some cheaper options that would be solid additions to a rebuilding squad.

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