Canadiens: Players The Habs Should Extend Immediately

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The Montreal Canadiens season is nearly upon us as we are just over a week away from training camp.

The rookies will report for rookie camp on September 14th and take part in a tournament in Buffalo with exhibition games slated to take place that week against a team of prospects from the Sabres organization as well as games against prospects from the Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins.

It should be a fun tournament as we get a look at some of the Habs top prospects and newest draft picks in action as they prepare for the upcoming season. Many of those players will eventually be ticketed back to Junior or the AHL level where they will play with the Laval Rocket but it is always nice to get a look at these kids in game action whenever possible.

As we wait for the training camp to begin, there is not a lot of NHL breaking news around the league. We are not likely to see any big trades in the coming days, but we could see a signing or two this time of year. There are some free agents who could find new homes before training camp, but the Canadiens should also be looking to take care of some contracts for future seasons right now as well.

There are three players that they should consider signing to extensions before the season begins. This would allow them to get in front of the negotiations and get young players locked up for a few more years before their contracts even expire. It would also allow some cost certainty going forward and get players inked before they really have a breakout season and earn much bigger paydays.

Who are the three players the Habs should be looking to extend right now?

Arber Xhekaj

The Montreal Canadiens signed Arber Xhekaj after an impressive showing at rookie camp in 2021. He would go on to earn an invitation to the team’s main training camp and played great in exhibition games before signing an entry-level contract.

Xhekaj returned to Junior for the 2021-22 season, but since he was already 20 years old and playing his overage Junior season, it counted toward the first year of his contract. A lot of players have their entry-level deal slide ahead a year if they go back to Junior, but not if it is for their overaged season.

Last season was Xhekaj’s rookie NHL season, but it was the second year of his three year entry-level contract. That means he is heading into the final year of that contract, is one year away from being a restricted free agent, and is eligible to sign an extension that would kick in at the start of the 2024-25 season.

Xhekaj proved in his rookie season to bring an element to the ice that most teams don’t have in abundance. He is 6’4″ and nearly 240 pounds and was a physical force that other teams had a hard time dealing with.

He also showed some potential to be a better offensive contributor than he was last season. He only had five goals and 13 points in 51 games, but he displayed a confidence with the puck, an ability to move it up ice quickly and a booming shot from the point.

If the Canadiens were to extend him right now, they could probably do it for two years at about $1 million. If they wait, and he puts up better offensive numbers, it could end up costing them a lot more a year from now.

Sam Montembeault

Sam Montembeault has been the starting goalie for the Habs for the past two seasons. Some of that was due to Jake Allen’s injuries in 2021-22, and part of it was due to performance in 2022-23 where he earned the lion’s share of games in goal.

He has already earned one contract extension during his time with the Habs, when he signed a two-year deal with a $1 million cap hit that covered the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. That means he is eligible for an extension at any time.

Montembeault is a 26 year old goaltender who could prove to be a steal if he is signed to an extension now. He had okay numbers last season when he put up a 3.42 goals against average and a .901 save percentage, but they were not putting him in the conversation for post-season awards.

Still, he was playing behind a very young defense on a team with low expectations that became an injury riddled roster for most of the season. It was a bit of a mess but he stood tall most nights, holding the team in games for a while, although there was the odd clunker that really brought his numbers down.

If he were to sign an extension right now, Montembeault could likely be locked in for two or three years at a cap hit of around $2 million per season. That could end up being an absolute steal if he continues to improve over the coming season. It also wouldn’t be that difficult to swallow if he struggles and never becomes a reliable starter.

If the team waits, and Montembeault plays great, he could become an unrestricted free agent next summer and leave for nothing in return, or demand a much higher salary on a longer term contract.

Justin Barron

Justin Barron was a first round draft pick of the Colorado Avalanche in the 2020 NHL Draft. He later signed his entry-level contract on April 27, 2021. He finished that season in the AHL with the Colorado Eagles, but on an amatuer tryout so his contract did not begin until the 2021-22 season.

Barron split that year between the AHL’s Eagles and NHL’s Avalanche before being dealt at the trade deadline to the Habs for Artturi Lehkonen. Barron ended the season in Montreal but was quickly injured after playing just five games, but that was the first season of his entry level contract.

Last season was the second year of the three year agreement and he split it between the Laval Rocket and Canadiens. He scored 16 points in 25 games with the Rocket and had 15 points in 39 NHL games.

Barron is a right shot defenseman who is a terrific skater and great puck moving blue liner. He has the tools to become a great offensive defenseman and it would be wise for the Habs to roll the dice on him and try to get him signed longer term right now. It wouldn’t cost them a ton, and he would probably sign a similar contract to Jordan Harris who is starting a two-year extension with a cap hit of $1.4 million.

Getting Barron to sign a similar deal, or a slightly longer one with a slightly larger cap hit would be a smart gamble by the Canadiens right now. He is just one year away from restricted free agency, so he isn’t leaving as a free agent, but if his offensive numbers take off this season he could be looking for a large payday as a young, puck moving, right shot defenseman.

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