Kent Hughes' new acquisition: 5 potential and free candidates
Many players were linked to the Canadiens through trades, but Kent Hughes was unable to finalize any deals this summer.
According to some analysts, the asking price for players like Trevor Zegras, Martin Necas, and Rutger McGroarty is too high, and the Canadiens' GM chose to be conservative. I believe this was a wise decision.
The unrestricted free-agent market offered some intriguing options, but once again, players like Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault were asking for too much money for too long.
This leads us to wonder if the current team will be the one for the opening game on October 9th.
A new free-agent acquisition for Kent Hughes?
There are still some interesting players available on the free-agent market, and 5 of them have been identified as potential fits for the Canadiens by TVA Sports.
For Johnson, he played with Martin St-Louis with the Tampa Bay Lightning. On a 3rd line, he could be a good addition, and he can still fill in on a 2nd line if needed.
Max Pacioretty is no longer the player he was in Montreal due to injuries, but he still accumulated 23 points in 47 games last year. He loves Montreal and the Canadiens.
As for the others, it remains quite risky, but again, Hughes wouldn't have to give up a player to acquire them, and he could offer them a short-term, low-value contract.
Thus, the Canadiens' GM wouldn't jeopardize the salary cap in the medium and long term, and he might even get a good return if there's a surprise at the trade deadline.
If he took a risk with Sean Monahan, he could well do the same with Max Pacioretty, for example. If the former captain stays healthy and is on track to score 30 goals, he would certainly be valuable come March.
Credit: Rumeursdetransaction.com
Cinq joueurs toujours libres qui pourraient devenir des aubaines
Source: Journal de Montréal
Dix joueurs autonomes sans compensation sans contrat
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