Five Free Agents The Canadiens Could Target This Off-Season

Colin Blackwell

Colin Blackwell would be a solid option for the Canadiens, in large part due to his versatility. In 138 games, Blackwell has 52 career points, which is pretty solid considering the role he serves. The Leafs acquired Blackwell from Seattle along with Mark Giordano in exchange for two second-round picks and one third-round pick this past trade deadline.

In Toronto, he rounded out a solid fourth line for the Leafs, picking up a goal and an assist in the process.

I actually really love this goal from Blackwell in the playoffs, as it exemplifies exactly what Montreal needs. Watch Blackwell intelligently read the play, recognizing Engvall crashing the net, he stops up and gives the puck carrier a passing option.

Those are winning plays, and the Canadiens can certainly use more of those. While Blackwell likely won’t come in and score 20-30 goals, he could be a solid depth option for the Canadiens at a very cheap price.

I don’t expect Mathieu Perreault or Tyler Pitlick to return to Montreal next season, and we may see a few other forwards leave via trade, so finding a cheap option to round out the bottom six may be something Kent Hughes wants to consider. Blackwell would be a perfect fit for Montreal and would buy time for other prospects that may not be ready to make the jump to the NHL.

A one year deal at around $1 Million makes a lot of sense for Montreal, and would then also give the Canadiens the option to move Blackwell at the deadline to a contending team if he has a good year. He wouldn’t be the flashiest of free agent signings, but Blackwell could be a solid under the radar move for the Habs.