Jeff Gorton has significantly dampened the fans' excitement with a big statement
At the dawn of a third season since the start of the Montreal Canadiens' rebuild, many anticipated that this might be the last season without real success. They hoped that the organization would take a significant step next summer to substantially enhance the team with impactful additions.
Given that the club will have several million dollars to spend under the cap next year, expected to be around $20M with Carey Price's contract on LTIR, and a potential significant increase in the salary cap, many fans anticipated a major move in the free agent market.
This is one reason why William Nylander's name often comes up in discussions as a potential summer acquisition for Kent Hughes.
However, a statement from the Vice President of Hockey Operations, Jeff Gorton, has considerably cooled the excitement of the Canadiens' fans. As he mentioned in the documentary about the team's 2023 draft, there's no real indication that management wants to add a major player due to the hefty contract that would come with it.
- Jeff Gorton
Given the financial structure that Hughes and Gorton are trying to build, as evidenced by their reluctance to pay Pierre-Luc Dubois more than their captain Nick Suzuki, it's unlikely we'll see the Canadiens make a big offer in the free agent market.
Unless the perfect opportunity presents itself, with the right player at the right salary, it seems improbable that Hughes will be active with the big names who will be free agents in 2024, like Steven Stamkos, for example.
Credit:
| POLL | ||
Would you want the Habs to sign Nylander for $10M ? | ||
| Yes | 105 | 20.4 % |
| No | 409 | 79.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
