Offseason Outlook: Canadiens' busy summer agenda begins with Price
With the offseason underway for a number of teams and the remainder to join them in a few weeks, we're looking at what's in store for each club in the coming months.
2016-17 Grade: C+
It was another disappointing campaign for the Montreal Canadiens, but in an entirely different way than 2015-16.
The Canadiens cruised to the Atlantic Division title, occupying first place almost from start to finish, but the New York Rangers brought an abrupt end to their season, dispatching Montreal in six games the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
This time, it wasn't a significant injury to Carey Price that derailed the Canadiens, but rather a shift in roster construction philosophy, a subsequent series of questionable moves, and the failure to address a glaring need.
General manager Marc Bergevin was roasted for trading P.K. Subban to the Nashville Predators for Shea Weber last June, and the criticism didn't cease over the balance of the season.
Bergevin made no bones about his desire to add more "grit" to Montreal's lineup - trading for Andrew Shaw at the draft and signing him to a six-year contract, then adding the likes of Steve Ott and Dwight King at the deadline - but that strategy clearly backfired.
(Courtesy: Action Images)
Though coach Michel Therrien was fired in February, the return of Claude Julien didn't make much of a difference this spring.
Price had another stellar season, but the Canadiens once again relied too heavily on their all-world goaltender and neglected to address their real issues.
Free Agents
Two key forwards and an aging defenseman are among the players needing new deals.
| Player (Position) | 2017-18 Status | Age | '16'-17 Cap Hit ($M) | '16-'17 Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander Radulov (F) | UFA | 30 | 5.75 | 54 |
| Andrei Markov (D) | UFA | 38 | 5.75 | 36 |
| Alex Galchenyuk (F) | RFA | 23 | 2.8 | 44 |
| Dwight King (F) | UFA | 27 | 1.95 | 16 |
| Nathan Beaulieu (D) | RFA | 24 | 1 | 28 |
| Brian Flynn (F) | UFA | 28 | 0.95 | 10 |
| Steve Ott (F) | UFA | 34 | 0.8 | 7 |
| Nikita Nesterov (D) | RFA | 24 | 0.725 | 17 |
| Andreas Martinsen (F) | UFA | 26 | 0.64 | 7 |
2017 Draft Picks
The Canadiens got second-rounders in this and next year's draft from the Washington Capitals in the Lars Eller trade, and gave up three mid-to-late-round selections in deals for Jordie Benn, Nikita Nesterov, and 2016 seventh-rounder Arvid Henrikson.
| Round | Pick Total |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 (25th overall) |
| 2 | 2 |
| 3 | 1 |
| 4 | 0 |
| 5 | 1 |
| 6 | 0 |
| 7 | 0 |
Summer priorities
1. Get the Price deal done
He isn't eligible for free agency until July 1, 2018, but Price's reps and the team can start discussing a contract extension one year before that, and both sides say they're interested in getting it done.
Take those comments as you will, but it would be shocking if a long-term agreement isn't reached after the negotiating window opens, and locking up Price is clearly the Canadiens' top priority.
Montreal doesn't absolutely need to sign him by the end of the summer, but Bergevin can't be too comfortable with the thought of entering the final season of Price's contract with uncertainty about the future looming over his franchise netminder.
2. Ditto for Radulov and Galchenyuk
Once Price is taken care of, Bergevin will have to shift his attention to a couple of key forwards.
Alexander Radulov ranked third on the club in goals (18), first in assists (36), and second in points in his first season back in North America after four years in the KHL, and he scored the overtime winner in Game 2 against the Rangers.
He proved to be one of the best big-money offseason signings last summer, and the Canadiens should bring him back if they can work out a reasonable short-term deal for the UFA, who'll turn 31 on July 5.
Alex Galchenyuk could also be in for a sticky negotiation process, but his status as an RFA gives the Canadiens a slight advantage.
The 23-year-old has been jerked around between center and the wing throughout his tenure in Montreal, so his position will surely be a focal point in the talks. His point production increased on a per-game basis despite the fact he missed almost a quarter of the regular season with a knee injury.
Bergevin signed Galchenyuk to a bridge deal a couple of years ago, so the player's camp likely won't want to go that route again.
3. Add secondary scoring
The movement toward a more gritty roster clearly didn't work. What the Canadiens actually need is more offense.
Max Pacioretty led the club and finished in the top 10 in the NHL with 35 goals, but Paul Byron (with 22) was Montreal's second-most productive scorer, and the Canadiens finished 15th in the league this past season with 2.72 per game.
Pacioretty's output represented about 16 percent of the Canadiens' goal total in the regular season, and Byron was the only other player to score at least 20, so that needs to be addressed in the offseason in free agency or via trade.
2017-18 Outlook
Expectations are always sky high in Montreal, but the Canadiens obviously can't afford to have another first-round exit next spring.
Though the window to win a championship isn't necessarily closing, especially if Price is signed long term, the club has an aging defense corps led by 38-year-old UFA Andrei Markov and Weber, who'll be 32 in August. Pacioretty will soon be two years away from hitting the free-agent market himself.
Montreal needs to advance to the second round next season, and the Canadiens should have their sights set on a return to the Eastern Conference Final, which they last reached in 2014.
But a deep postseason run won't likely happen unless they do what they need to do this summer.
Offseason Outlook Series
COL | VAN | NJD | ARI | BUF
DET | DAL | FLA | LAK | CAR
WPG | PHI | TBL | NYI | WAS
TOR | CGY | BOS | SJ | OTT
STL | NYR | EDM | MTL |