Upcoming blockbuster move by Kent Hughes? The Canadiens will free up a tremendous amount of salary cap space by 2025
The game plan for the Montreal Canadiens is crystal clear for the next two seasons.
The organization will continue to offload undesirable contracts from its roster while trying to trade those that could yield something in return.
In the summer of 2024, the Habs will benefit from the removal of Mike Hoffman's $4.5 million contract, as well as $2.5 million in "dead money," which includes Joel Edmundson's salary retention and the final year of Karl Alzner's buyout (yes, really!). We can also add the contracts of Rem Pitlick and Chris Wideman, which total another $2 million.
Already, this provides a solid starting point to gradually build on new foundations and make room for more young players in the lineup. However, where it becomes even more interesting is at the conclusion of the 2024-2025 season.
Here are those whose contracts expire in the summer of 2025:
Joel Armia - $3,400,000
Jake Allen - $3,850,000
David Savard - $3,500,000
Jake Evans - $1,700,000
Michael Pezzetta - $813,500
Johnathan Kovacevic - $766,667
As of today, if the salary cap remains the same and no transactions are made, excluding restricted free agent signings, the Canadiens will have over $25 million available under the cap. This figure could be even higher, as estimates suggest that the cap could increase from $83.5 million to over $90 million in the coming years.
Kent Hughes will thus have a significant amount of money to add the necessary pieces to elevate the Canadiens to the next level, becoming contenders for the Stanley Cup.
While there are several young players to extend, there shouldn't be any massive deals like Nick Suzuki or Cole Caufield signed at the end of their entry-level contracts.
Here is a list of notable impending free agents by 2025:
Arber Xhekaj (2024)
Juraj Slafkovsky (2025)
Kaiden Guhle (2025)
Jordan Harris (2025)
Johnathan Kovacevic (2025)
Rafaël Harvey-Pinard (2025)
In essence, this analysis clarifies one thing: the 2023-2024 season will be another transitional year for the club, likely concluding with another top-10 draft selection.
As for 2024-2025, it will mark the start of the rebuilding phase's emergence, with several young talents entering the lineup. Names like Lane Hutson, Sean Farrell, David Reinbacher, Logan Mailloux, and perhaps even Joshua Roy come to mind.
Ultimately, the real change for the Canadiens will begin in the summer of 2025, when Hughes is expected to be very active in adding significant pieces to the roster with the goal of securing playoff berths for at least a decade.
Source: HabsolumentFan
| POLL | ||
In your opinion, starting from which season will the Canadiens qualify for the playoffs again? | ||
| 2023-2024 | 59 | 21.1 % |
| 2024-2025 | 122 | 43.7 % |
| 2025-2026 | 73 | 26.2 % |
| 2026-2027 | 25 | 9 % |
| List of polls | ||
