Pierre Gauthier's Canada Day Weekend Plans

With the Free Agent Market set to open in less than 24 hours, we have a clearer picture as to who will be available and where the Montreal Canadiens have needs. Thus, today we will step into the shoes of General Manager Pierre Gauthier to show what our priorities would be come noon tomorrow (July 1). Unfortunately, from our original list of Top 10 UFA targets, a number of players have been signed (Brooks Laich, Tomas Kopecky...). Furthermore, we can now look beyond the forward position to see where there are holes and thus update the original Off-Season Plan that we had laid out.

On that note, let’s take a look at what Mr. Gauthier's Friday mak look like.

7:00 AM - Wakin' up in the morning, gotta be fresh, gotta go downstairs. Gotta have my bowl, gotta have cereal... No? C'mon... It's Friday, Friday... gotta get down on Friday?

Ok, in all seriousness, the Habs' brass likely will be up early and will hold one final meeting to go over the day's plan. First they may look at the team under contract as it stands. We’re talking about something like this:

CAPGEEK.COM CAP CALCULATOR

FORWARDS
Mike Cammalleri ($6.000m) / Tomas Plekanec ($5.000m) / Andrei Kostitsyn ($3.250m)
Max Pacioretty ($1.625m) / Scott Gomez ($7.357m) / Brian Gionta ($5.000m)
David Desharnais ($0.850m) / Lars Eller ($1.270m) / Mathieu Darche ($0.700m)
Travis Moen ($1.500m) / Andreas Engqvist ($0.900m) / Aaron Palushaj ($0.883m)
Olivier Fortier ($0.875m)

DEFENSEMEN
Andrei Markov ($5.750m) / Alexei Yemelin ($0.984m)
Hal Gill ($2.250m) / P.K. Subban ($0.875m)
Jaroslav Spacek ($3.833m) / Yannick Weber ($0.850m)
Alex Henry ($0.512m) / Raphael Diaz ($0.900m)

GOALTENDERS
Carey Price ($2.750m) / Robert Mayer ($0.530m)

BUYOUTS: Georges Laraque ($0.500m)

CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $64,300,000; CAP PAYROLL: $54,946,342; BONUSES: $985,000
CAP SPACE (23-man roster): $9,353,658

$9M is quite a bit of money to spend on upgrading this roster, but the first thing they must do is account for their unsigned restricted free agents. That means these guys who will eventually be added to this group –

Josh Gorges – estimated 4 years, $12M
Ryan White – estimated 1 year, $650K (one-way)

9:00 AM - Final needs assessment. Beyond the above players, the most glaring need is in nets. The Canadiens have only 2 goaltenders under contract right now, and Robert Mayer definitely won’t play at the NHL level any time soon – if ever. Given that Carey Price will again be the workhorse, the Habs will only want to commit between $750K and $1.5M on a back-up netminder. So we confirm a list of targets for the job:

5) Patrick Lalime
Buffalo Sabres, 36 years old, 6’3”, 189 lbs
2009-10: 16 GP, 2.81 GAA, .907 SV%
2010-11: 7 GP, 2.96 GAA, .890 SV%
Contract offer: 1 year, $850K

4) Ty Conklin
St. Louis Blues, 35 years old, 6’0”, 184 lbs
2009-10: 26 GP, 2.48 GAA, .921 SV%
2010-11: 25 GP, 3.22 GAA, .881 SV%
Contract offer: 1 year, $1M

3) Alex Auld
Montreal Canadiens, 30 years old, 6’5”, 221 lbs
2010-11: 16 GP, 2.64 GAA, .914 SV%
Contract offer: 2 years, $2M

2) Mathieu Garon
Columbus Blue Jackets, 33 years old, 6’1”, 206 lbs
2009-10: 35 GP, 2.81 GAA, .903 SV%
2010-11: 36 GP, 2.72 GAA, 901 SV%
Contract offer: 2 years, $2M

1) Josh Harding
Minnesota Wild, 27 years old, 6’1”, 195 lbs
2009-10: 19 GP, 2.21 GAA, .929 SV%
2010-11: 25 GP, 3.05 GAA, .905 SV%
Contract offer: 2 years, $3M

Other possible names could include Marty Turco, Jose Theodore, and Curtis Sanford. Assume for a second that we get our top choice, we’re now looking at this roster:

CAPGEEK.COM CAP CALCULATOR

FORWARDS
Mike Cammalleri ($6.000m) / Tomas Plekanec ($5.000m) / Andrei Kostitsyn ($3.250m)
Max Pacioretty ($1.625m) / Scott Gomez ($7.357m) / Brian Gionta ($5.000m)
Mathieu Darche ($0.700m) / Lars Eller ($1.270m) / David Desharnais ($0.850m)
Travis Moen ($1.500m) / Andreas Engqvist ($0.900m) / Ryan White ($0.650m)
Olivier Fortier ($0.875m) / Aaron Palushaj ($0.883m)

DEFENSEMEN
Andrei Markov ($5.750m) / Josh Gorges ($3.000m)
Hal Gill ($2.250m) / P.K. Subban ($0.875m)
Jaroslav Spacek ($3.833m) / Alexei Yemelin ($0.984m)
Yannick Weber ($0.850m)

GOALTENDERS
Carey Price ($2.750m) / Josh Harding ($1.500m)

BUYOUTS: Georges Laraque ($0.500m)

CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $64,300,000; CAP PAYROLL: $58,153,842; BONUSES: $725,000
CAP SPACE (23-man roster): $6,146,158

10:00 AM - Contact local Montreal authorities to put our a Missing Persons Alert for Jaromir Jagr after his agent, Petr Svoboda, still has no news for you.

10:05 AM - $6M in upgrades remaining available to turn this team into a true contender. The next obvious need is some support up front. Neither Aaron Palushaj nor Olivier Fortier is likely to start the season on the team’s NHL roster, barring a huge training camp surprise or multiple injuries. I would love to see Gauthier aggressively target a top 6 capable forward, which would allow for some line juggling to possibly have Andrei Kostitsyn play on a third scoring line alongside David Desharnais and/or Lars Eller. If this does not come through, the team should be looking to add some size, muscle, and offense to a third or fourth trio. On that note, here are my new remaining Top 10 Forward Targets (note that we removed Jaromir Jagr from the list due to a report that looked like he would end up in Pittsburgh; he remains our #1 option if available tomorrow and if found):

10) Matt D’Agostini
- UFA to avoid arbitration in St. Louis
- Speedy winger coming off 20 goal season, only 24 years old
- Return to Montreal probably unlikely
- Contract offer: 2 years, $3.8M

9) Anthony Stewart
- 6’3”, 230 lbs former first round pick right winger
- Set career highs with 14 goals, 39 points last season
- Montreal native
- Contract offer: 2 years, $2M

8) Tomas Fleischmann
- Dropped on list since last UFA evaluation due to no new health assessment
- 12 G, 31 PTS in 45 games last season (projects to 21 G, 56 PTS over 82 GP)
- Good size (6’1”), only 27 years old
- Contract offer: 1 year (health reasons), $2.25M

7) Mike Rupp
- 6’5”, 230 lbs 4th line winger who can chip in ~15 points
- Scored Stanley Cup winning goal in 02-03 with New Jersey
- Can play any forward position, but bonus of being strong in face-off circle
- Contract offer: 2 years, $2.4M

6) Tyler Kennedy
- Small but skilled forward cut loose for contractual reasons like D’Agostini
- Can fit in anywhere in the line-up (incl. PP + PK), like a younger Jeff Halpern
- Career highs last season with 21 goals, 45 points in absence of Crosby, Malkin
- Contract offer: 2 years, $4.5M

5) Raffi Torres
- Average-sized but physical forward who sometimes plays over the line
- 30 years old, can produce ~15 goals and ~30 points from a third line
- Tends to be streaky offensively, but always plays a hard, straight-line game
- Contract offer: 2 years, $3.5M

4) Sean Bergenheim
- Never lived up to pre-draft offensive hype in N.Y. Islanders system
- Set career high with 29 points in regular season this year, but exploded in playoffs with 9 goals and 11 points in 16 games
- Still just 27, he’s average sized, but can play in all situations
- Contract offer: 3 years, $6.6M

3) Ville Leino
- First full NHL season last year, scored 19 goals and 53 pts as a 27 year old
- Speedy winger described by Ken Holland as “best player he’s ever had to trade”
- Only average sized, but lots of offensive upside
- Contract offer: 3 years, $9M

2) Simon Gagne
- Omitted from our initial list due to injury history and declining performances
- Given who’s out there, one of the most offensively gifted players on market
- Average sized, but was a 30-40 goal scorer just a few years ago in Philadelphia
- Still only 31, had a great playoffs with 12 points in 15 games
- Contract offer: 3 years, $9M

1) Erik Cole
- Was set to become one of game’s premiere power forwards before injuries + personal problems
- 6’2”, 205 lbs winger that can take the body; type of player Habs need when healthy
- Showed new life last season, playing all 82 games and scoring 26 goals, and 52 points
- Questionable as to whether he would want to leave Carolina
- Contract offer: 2 years (health risk), $8M

Ideally, one offensive top 6er and one bottom 6 grinder (other options could include Ben Eager, Zenon Knopka, Eric Belanger, or Joel Ward) could be added at reasonable rates. Let’s take an example and see where this puts us:

FORWARDS
Mike Cammalleri ($6.000m) / Tomas Plekanec ($5.000m) / Erik Cole ($4.000m)
Max Pacioretty ($1.625m) / Scott Gomez ($7.357m) / Brian Gionta ($5.000m)
David Desharnais ($0.850m) / Lars Eller ($1.270m) / Andrei Kostitsyn ($3.250m)
Travis Moen ($1.500m) / Michael Rupp ($1.225m) / Ryan White ($0.650m)
Mathieu Darche ($0.700m)

DEFENSEMEN
Andrei Markov ($5.750m) / Josh Gorges ($3.000m)
Hal Gill ($2.250m) / P.K. Subban ($0.875m)
Jaroslav Spacek ($3.833m) / Alexei Yemelin ($0.984m)
Yannick Weber ($0.850m)

GOALTENDERS
Carey Price ($2.750m) / Josh Harding ($1.500m)

BUYOUTS: Georges Laraque ($0.500m)

CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $64,300,000; CAP PAYROLL: $60,720,509; BONUSES: $400,000
CAP SPACE (23-man roster): $3,579,491

11:00 AM - Market about to open. Call Roman Hamrlik's agent and give him one last chance to accept that one year deal. Because it seems clear that the remaining room should be spent on an extra defenseman to strengthen our depth at that position, especially considering health concerns of Andrei Markov and Jaroslav Spacek. Even just in terms of on-ice product, I would rather not have Spacek in the team’s top 6, so let’s look at some d-men that might be in our price range:

5) Matt Gilroy
- Once a prized college free agent, Gilroy’s play fluctuated between hot and cold this year
- A two-way d-man still only 26 (with just 2 NHL seasons completed), best years may still be ahead of him
- Only average sized, but adds depth allowing Gauthier to dump Spacek if an offer to do so ever presents itself
- Contract offer: 1 year, $750K

4) Shane O’Brien
- Looked like he might not cut it when shipped out of Vancouver, but re-established himself in Nashville
- Not dissimilar to Ryan O’Byrne, 6’3”, 224 lbs, and can lay heavy hits
- At 27 years of age, not a terrible option for a third pairing or added depth
- Contract offer: 1 year, $1M

3) Sami Lepisto
- Average sized d-man bounced around the league the last few seasons, but still only 26
- Averaged 20:00 / game last year in Phoenix and Columbus and finished +10
- Little offense, but reliable enough in own end to be paired with a rookie on third string
- Contract offer: 2 years, $3M

2) Roman Hamrlik
- Turned down Habs one year offer believed to be worth $2.5M-$3.5M
- Might not find a team to commit to him for 2-3 years, would become an option again
- Fits perfectly for one season as a reliable veteran on a third pairing (plus 2nd unit PP and PK), mentoring young players like Alexei Yemelin and Yannick Weber
- Contract offer: 1 year, $3M

1) Jonathan Ericsson
- Entering prime at age 27, slowly developed in the Detroit Red Wings system
- Huge frame at 6’5”, 205 lbs, and mage big strides in his defensive game
- With Brian Rafalski’s retirement, Wings likely to try to keep him
- Contract offer: 3 years, $10M

Assuming we get everything we want, then, the Canadiens could start the 2011-12 campaign with a roster like the following:

FORWARDS
Mike Cammalleri ($6.000m) / Tomas Plekanec ($5.000m) / Erik Cole ($4.000m)
Max Pacioretty ($1.625m) / Scott Gomez ($7.357m) / Brian Gionta ($5.000m)
David Desharnais ($0.850m) / Lars Eller ($1.270m) / Andrei Kostitsyn ($3.250m)
Travis Moen ($1.500m) / Michael Rupp ($1.225m) / Ryan White ($0.650m)
Mathieu Darche ($0.700m)

DEFENSEMEN
Andrei Markov ($5.750m) / Josh Gorges ($3.000m)
Hal Gill ($2.250m) / P.K. Subban ($0.875m)
Jonathan Ericsson ($3.333m) / Alexei Yemelin ($0.984m)
Jaroslav Spacek ($3.833m) / Yannick Weber ($0.850m)

GOALTENDERS
Carey Price ($2.750m) / Josh Harding ($1.500m)

BUYOUTS: Georges Laraque ($0.500m)

CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $64,300,000; CAP PAYROLL: $64,053,842; BONUSES: $400,000
CAP SPACE (23-man roster): $246,158

Strong depth and no glaring weaknesses means that with a few bounces, this is a team that could compete for the Stanley Cup as soon as this year. A lot of if’s to be sure, but this is how we would love to see Mr. Gauthier approaches tomorrow’s flurry of activity (even if it may be more of a Free Agent Whimper than a Free Agent Frenzy). Certainly, adding Rupp, Cole, and Ericsson would go a long way towards eliminating the "small" label many put on the team.

12:00 PM - Market opens. Gauthier and his staff will begin jamming phone lines and monitoring all channels of communication for news (TV, radio, internet, e-mail, etc.). Fans around their world can only sit back, cross their fingers, and enjoy the show.