Report: Drouin, Canadiens believed to have started contract negotiations

Beyond the buzz of Jonathan Drouin's blockbuster arrival in Montreal lie some not-so-glamorous contract negotiations between the 22-year-old winger and his new general manager Marc Bergevin.

Drouin, acquired by the Canadiens on Thursday in exchange for prospect Mikhail Sergachev and conditional picks, is a restricted free agent, and talks regarding a new deal are already underway, reports TSN's Bob McKenzie.

Related: Projecting Jonathan Drouin's next contract

Drouin wrapped up his entry-level contract this past season, registering a career-high 53 points in 73 games. Based on his production and potential, it's feasible to think he could fetch something in the range of $5-6 million annually.

er CapFriendly, Montreal has $22.5 million in cap space to work with this offseason, with choices to make on RFAs Drouin, Alex Galchenyuk, Nathan Beaulieu, and Nikita Nesterov, as well as unrestricted free agents Alexander Radulov, Andrei Markov, Dwight King, and Brian Flynn.