Major: A Quebecer previously linked to the CH could find himself a free agent this summer

PUBLICATION

Elias Edmonson
June 11, 2023 (1:16 PM)

SHARE THIS STORY

We can expect a bustling summer for the Habs as Kent Hughes will have several important cases to address. The general manager of the Canadiens may need to trade or buy out contracts of some veterans to make room for the youth starting next season.

However, he might also proceed with signing a few players through the free agency market which will begin next July 1st. On this matter, Frank Seravalli has made a top-10 of unrestricted free agents who might not receive a qualifying offer for the next season and one player in particular has caught our attention.

Indeed, the 24-year-old Quebecois, Maxime Comtois, ranks fourth on this list published on the Daily Faceoff website. The forward born in Longueuil has struggled to establish himself as a lead player with the Ducks in the last two seasons. However, there's no doubt that Comtois has the necessary talent to become an excellent third-line player in the NHL, who had notably amassed 16 goals and 17 assists (33 points) in 55 matches in 2020-2021.

Comtois has all the necessary tools to become a solid player in the NHL, but he has struggled to put everything together over his first four seasons. His game has regressed over the past two seasons. He sometimes seems frustrated, and a change of scenery might be beneficial for him. The only question is whether the Ducks are wondering if they can get more from him with new coach Greg Cronin. If so, it might be worth signing him to find out. - Frank Seravalli

Maxime Comtois has already been linked to Tricolore in the past, and we're wondering if Kent Hughes might be interested in acquiring him this summer. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound forward could certainly play a key role in the Canadiens' top-9 if the organization can offload players like Mike Hoffman and Joel Armia who unfortunately no longer fit into Martin St-Louis' lineup.

The forward is only 24 years old, and a change of environment could be greatly beneficial for him. Should the CH offer him a contract for two or three seasons at an annual salary around 2.5 million dollars?

Personally, we believe he could be a very nice addition to the Canadiens' third line. However, for this possibility to become a reality, Kent Hughes absolutely has to find a way to sever ties with some forwards.