We keep hearing that this veteran would be a good big brother for the Canadian’s youngsters, that another captain could mentor Nick Suzuki, who turns 24 this summer, that one could be an example of Montreal’s inexperienced defense would. But that’s not what CH needs.
The Habs don’t need a babysitter! No more than any other coach.
What CH needs are players who lead the club to victory. And what a great way to learn from victories. Young people have already learned enough from defeat. It’s time to take the next step.
And here we go, because next week will be action-packed in the National League. After the draft, which will take place in Nashville on Wednesday and Thursday, the Free Agent Market will open on July 1st.
The two events could be closely linked, especially for teams that draft early like the Canadiens. Will Kent Hughes’ first pick help the lineup next season? Do we have to wait a few more years (for example, if CH’s general manager takes a risk with Russian Matvei Michkov)?
Hughes could also make trades like he did last year by swapping Alexander Romanov and taking over Kirby Dach.
Dubois is having fun in Montreal
And there are always rumors about Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Jets’ tall center has already mentioned that he wants to leave Winnipeg, and he’s never been shy about saying he’d love to play in Montreal.
Seeing him at the Canadian Grand Prix with Cole Caufield or at a CF Montreal game with David Savard doesn’t mean it’s in the bag for CH. It’s normal for a Quebecer to spend time in Quebec in the summer!
Other teams are also in the running. Quebecers like Luc Robitaille or Julien BriseBois could persuade Dubois, who celebrates his 25th birthday on Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, to join the Los Angeles Kings or the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Always a question of money
And there are two other aspects Hughes needs to focus on: the price being asked by the Jets and the price being asked by Dubois.
The Manitoba team won’t want to let him go for peanuts. Knowing they could buy out former captain Blake Wheeler’s contract and that Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck plan to leave Winnipeg, the Jets will seek a rebuild. But there are untouchables in Canadian, like Suzuki and Caufield.
Regardless of whether the Jets or the Habs Dubois grant a new deal, it will be for around eight years. However, he won’t be able to earn more than Suzuki as the captain earns $7.875 million per season. As we’ve seen, Hughes respected hierarchy when he allocated $7.850 million to Caufield.
And when it comes to the salary cap, the CEO doesn’t have much leeway anyway. Sean Monahan is down to $9.24 million after signing.
Killorn, Barbashev or takeovers?
It’s little if Hugues also wants to look at the free agents’ side. Some talk about Alex Killorn. The Montreal West-raised forward is a two-time Stanley Cup winner with Tampa Bay. But at 33, his golden years are probably behind him.
Ivan Barbashev is a better option. He’s younger (27) and was just crowned champion with the Vegas Golden Knights. He had already triumphed with the Saint Louis Blues. The sturdy Russian raked in just $2.25 million last season.
The Canadian could also buy contracts. Mike Hoffman would be the logical choice, but there’s also Joel Edmundson, Joel Armia and Christian Dvorak, who have two years left on their contracts.
However, there is a risk that the organization with Brendan Gallagher, holder of a $6.5 million contract through 2026-2027, will be caught.
-Comments collected by Mylène Richard
Echoes of Bergie
Finally Pierre Turgeon in the temple!
I can’t believe Pierre Turgeon waited so long to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He played his last game in the NHL 16 years ago! The former Canadiens captain was the only retired player with at least 1,300 points not to earn the long-awaited call-up. Caroline Ouellette also fully deserves this honor. She is a role model and an inspiration for all girls who want to play hockey. She won four Olympic gold medals, the equivalent of four Stanley Cups for women. After Danielle Goyette and Kim St-Pierre, Ouellette will not be the last Quebecer to be inducted. Marie-Philip Poulin, inducted into the national team by Ouellette, already had her place in the Hall of Fame before her retirement.
Good news for Carey Price
Given that Henrik Lundqvist will be inducted into the Temple, even if he has never won the Stanley Cup, we can conclude that Carey Price will one day have access to it too…at the end of his contract, which will be in three years ends! Price never lifted the trophy, but he did win the Vezinas, Harts and Ted-Lindsays for NHL MVP in 2014-15. He had also won Olympic gold in Sochi. He certainly had a bigger impact on his team in the long run than Tom Barrasso and Mike Vernon, to whom the Temple just opened its doors.
Now it’s Jacques Demers’ turn
Members voting to induct players and point guards into Toronto’s Hockey Hall of Fame shouldn’t make the same mistake they did with Pierre Lacroix. The former agent and general manager who is the origin of the championship teams in Colorado is inducted posthumously, he passed away in 2020. You don’t have to wait for Jacques Demers to die to pay tribute to him! He won the last Stanley Cup from the Canadiens, twice received the Jack Adams trophy, which is awarded to the best coach in the NHL. He also made his way as managing director without being able to read and write. He is very ill today, but he deserves to be admitted while he is still alive.