A Day as Habs GM: Getting Rid of Gomez

As the real Marc Bergevin spends today in Shawinigan getting ready to take in some of the action with four Montreal Canadiens prospects taking part in this week's Memorial Cup, and with a planned update on the coaching situation for the media this afternoon, I thought I'd take a different docket off his hands.  So today, we'll enter his shoes to address the up-in-the-air Scott Gomez situation.

If you'll remember back to the day Bergevin was hired, there was a non-sensical rumour circulated by Dave Morissette of TVASports that a decision had already been taken to buy the remaining 2 seasons of Gomez's contract out.  Considering that the NHL's buyout period doesn't open until June 15 or 48 hours after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup finals should they run longer, there would be no point in making that kind of a decision in early May.  Besides, a buyout is only one of a few possible options the Canadiens have, so today we look at the scenarios and assess the best case.


Buy Him Out
While the first rumour is almost certainly a garbage source trying to pre-empt actual news just to claim they were first (aka Anonymous Hockey Blogging 101), it isn't impossible that the organization decides on this route come mid-June.  A buyout for a player in Gomez's category is set at 2/3 of the remaining dollars on his deal, split over double the remaining contract length.  Thanks to the calculator from CapGeek.com, we'd get this as the math for a buyout this summer:

So Geoff Molson would save a few bucks not having to pay Scottie, but the problem with this option is the last column, "Buyout Cap Hit."  Buy buying out his contract, the Canadiens would be handicapping themselves by this amount for each of the next four years, reducing the amount they'd be allowed to spend on their team, and putting the team at a disadvantage compared to other cap-spending clubs.  For a team with the financial resources to spend to the cap and beyond, this sort of management would be an injustice to fans, limiting the club's ability to ice the best roster possible.  Besides, Georges Laraque's buyout just finally came off the team's cap at the conclusion of this season, though it was a penalty of only $500,000 this year.

Fortunately, Geoff Molson alluded to the fact that he was open to alternatives other than the buyout, indicated that his team's budget wouldn't be limited (within reason of course) when it came to building a winning team.  So it seems unlikely he will force Bergevin's hand to go this route.  So aside from saving a few bucks, why would the team do it?  Well it's the most beneficial option for Gomez himself, collecting a payout and allowing him to shop his services to other clubs where he may be more welcome.  But Montreal owes Gomez nothing; the team isn't even the one who signed him to the deal in the first place.  They've paid him considerable money only to underperform, so why do him a favour?

That said, the fact that a new Collective Bargaining Agreement must be negotiated before we can play another season of NHL hockey complicates the situation a bit.  We don't know how a new CBA would change the options available to the team.  Will there be a clause that prevents clubs from hiding veteran salaries in the AHL?  Will the structure of buyouts change?  If so, this option might become more attractive.  Alternatively, will the new CBA provide a cap hit-free "amnesty" buyout mechanism for one short period of time?  If so, a buyout of that variety likely becomes the top possibility.



Let Him Play
Since buying him out under current rules makes little sense, imposing a four-year penalty on the team, another line of thinking is to simply let him play, at least for one more season.  There is the slim chance that he finds chemistry with someone else on the roster and shows a semblance of productivity, and either way, his deal becomes that much more manageable with another season ticked off, whether it's by finding a trade partner ("reasonable" salary due for a non-cap team) or buying it out at a smaller penalty.  For reference, the buyout one year from now would look just like the following, again thanks to CapGeek:

The problems with this option are many as well, however.  First, there is the likely scenario that Gomez doesn't perform much better than either of the past two seasons, in which case the team is simply better off without him.  The club is far better off with David Desharnais, Tomas Plekanec, and Lars Eller down the middle, and Gomez isn't the kind of player you would want on a fourth line.  Even moving him to the wing would not be ideal, as developing Louis Leblanc or re-signing Travis Moen fill greater needs in both the short- and long-term.  Essentially, this team wouldn't want Gomez on the roster for ANY dollar amount.  Then there is the off-ice distraction and constant media scrutiny/questioning that will accompany an unproductive Gomez on the squad.  Plus the immediate heat/pressure on Bergevin for not addressing $7.357 M in wasted cap space.  Thus, for all of these reasons, it seems very safe to conclude that we've seen Scott Gomez play his final game in a Canadiens jersey, and that "letting him play" isn't a good option.



Trade Him
This option, also known as the "easier said than done," has been a hope of Canadiens' fans for most of the past two years.  Find a team willing to take on Gomez's contract for some reason or another.  Any possible trade would fall under one of two possible circumstances, if not both.  First is the Canadiens sacrificing a significant future asset, such as a top prospect or high draft pick.  The second would be the team taking back a similar bad contract (or multiple smaller bad contracts), with both teams hoping that a change of scenery is all their disappointing players needed to kick it up a notch.  For example, it's pretty clear the Carolina Hurricanes are fed up with Tomas Kaberle and don't want to pay him $4.25M for each of the next two seasons, so maybe something could be done there.  Wait, what's that?  The Habs already took Kaberle off the 'Canes hands?  Without making them take anything long-term back?  My bad, I thought that was a delusional nightmare.

But seriously, who are some players teams out there might want to get rid of for Gomez?  There's Shawn Horcoff in Edmonton, whose cap hit is about $1.8M less than Gomez's annually and who scored just 13 goals and 34 points in 81 games this season.  Reason for Montreal to do it? Horcoff brings size at 6'1", 202 lbs.  Reason for Edmonton to do it?  Horcoff has three seasons remaining versus Gomez's two.  Jay Bouwmeester hasn't panned out since joining the Calgary Flames from the Florida Panthers, with 29 points and a -21 rating in 81 games this season.  Joining a new team might help his career, and Montreal could use a top pairing defender, so even though his cap hit is only $700,000 less than Gomez's, it might kill two birds with one stone.  Like with Horcoff, the reasoning for Calgary would be that Bouwmeester has three years left vs. two for Gomez.




Waive Him
Saving likely the best for last, the Canadiens could waive Scott Gomez in the Fall.  There are two possible paths in this case; one would be to take a decision immediately, and then exceed the cap by up to Gomez's cap hit this summer, in which case it's likely he would not even attend the team's training camp.  The other is to bring him to camp and see how he performs.  Keep him around if the math works out (i.e. the Habs weren't able to add any other contributing big dollar players) and he earns his spot; waive him by camp's end if there is no fit.

Placing Gomez on waivers means offering him and his contract to any team "for free."  No team will take him (though if one would, it would mean the Canadiens be off the hook for the remainder of his deal in entirety), and then the Habs would be free to assign him to another league, ridding them of his cap hit.  The most common route would be to send him to the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL, where he might help young players adapt to the pro ranks and fill a scoring need the 'Dogs are likely to have.  It is likely the team first gives him an option to explore possibilities of playing in Europe, where they could (at least under current CBA terms) loan him to a club that would take him and again be off the hook (cap hit wise) for all of his remaining dollars.  The Canadiens are a highly profitable organization, and can afford to pay Gomez $10M over the next two seasons to play for other clubs, saving the $14.7M in cap space.  That makes waiving him the best possible plan, which Habs fan should hope Bergevin opts for.

A Kink in the Plan

Whatever your thoughts of Pierre Gauthier's moves (or lack thereof) on deadline day, the always tight-lipped Habs general manager gave fans a little glimpse of his plan for the team yesterday. Whether he'll be the one ultimately executing the next phases of it or not, it is clear that he has goals to increase the overall size of the team to compensate for its smaller players, and that inconsistent play like that of Mike Cammalleri and Andrei Kostitsyn simply won't cut it.

These two principles sounds great in theory. They sound like parts of a recipe for turning your Montreal Canadiens into contenders once again. But while last night's Habs loss to the Lightning, combined with a Leafs loss, Caps and Canes wins, and a point for the Islanders fit absolutely perfectly into my personal Tanking desires, there appear to be a few holes or kinks in the team's current plan to turn their fortunes around.

A top 3 pick in this June's NHL Entry Draft will be a nice reward for surviving a putrid season of horrendous underachievement. But following moves this season that rid the team of the disappointing Cammalleri and Kostitsyn, even after adding a potential franchise forward through the draft, there remain problems that won't be easy to solve in the short term. While their play wasn't up to par, both Cammalleri and Kostitsyn were supposed to have important roles on the team; one as a premiere goal-scoring top 6 winger, and the other as a skilled and tough secondary scorer capable of potting 20+. While I appreciate what Rene Bourque can bring to the table, he certainly doesn't replace Cammalleri's contribution, and I'm doubting at this point that he can replace Kostitsyn's goals either.

So let's take a look at where the Canadiens stand right now. I'll even go ahead and assume the team manages to retain Travis Moen's services before he hits the open market on July 1st, and take the optimistic liberty of assuming the Habs will be able to perform some type of amnesty buyout to rid themselves of Scott Gomez's contract with the new CBA.

CAPGEEK.COM CAP CALCULATOR

FORWARDS

Rene Bourque ($3.333m) / Tomas Plekanec ($5.000m) / Brian Gionta ($5.000m)

Max Pacioretty ($1.625m) / David Desharnais ($0.850m) / Erik Cole ($4.500m)

Travis Moen ($1.850m) / Lars Eller ($1.300m) / Louis Leblanc ($1.170m)

Mike Blunden ($0.615m) / Ryan White ($0.625m) / Blake Geoffrion ($0.800m)

Andreas Engqvist ($0.700m)

DEFENSEMEN

Andrei Markov ($5.750m) / Josh Gorges ($3.900m)

Alexei Emelin ($2.500m) / P.K. Subban ($3.000m)

Tomas Kaberle ($4.250m) / Raphael Diaz ($2.000m)

Yannick Weber ($0.850m)

GOALTENDERS

Carey Price ($6.500m) / Peter Budaj ($1.150m)

CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)

(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)

SALARY CAP: $64,300,000; CAP PAYROLL: $57,268,333; BONUSES: $300,000

CAP SPACE (22-man roster): $7,031,667

As is generally the case with a team currently sitting in last place in their conference, there are many, many problems here we can go over. I've given much attention to the need for a big, star, top 6 center, and that remains a hole on the roster. I'd say that finding such a player remains a priority if only because those types are difficult to add since they rarely become available.

But there's more. The third and fourth lines are very weak, due in part to Lars Eller's stunted offensive development and general inexperience of the group. I would love to see a team that could roll three offensive lines, and then feature Travis Moen and Ryan White flanking a big and tough center on the fourth unit, but the team seems far from achieving anything of the sort with bigger fish to fry first.

One of these big fish is the top 6 forward group. The Canadiens had seemingly gotten to a point where they no longer needed to rely on Andrei Kostitsyn for top 6 offense due to their forward depth. Having to insert a guy like Rene Bourque into the top 6, then, is a step backwards. Will Brian Gionta get back to his near-30 goal production, or will he play like he did prior to his injuries this season? Can pint-sized David Desharnais repeat this year's production over the long haul? Will he always need twin towers on either side of him in the team's top forwards, Max Pacioretty and Erik Cole? If so, that certainly handicaps line juggling flexibility. And what of Tomas Plekanec - is this poor season just an outlier? Pacioretty and Cole are pieces for a winning team, and Plekanec can be a solid 2nd line center on a championship team, but that still leaves three slots needing some kind of possible upgrade or change.

In short, to fix the forward group quickly, you would need to add 1-2 top 6 wingers, and ideally upgrade the center position. That's a tall order to fill in one summer, especially with a huge lack of talent available on the free agent market. Some of the few names to consider include Zach Parise, Jiri Hudler, and Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau, but there isn't much else, and even those 3 are each 6'0" or shorter. Plus with the shallow market, each of these guys is sure to get an overpayment as a UFA. We can conclude, then, that it is going to take some awfully creative work for Gauthier or whoever is GM to "fix" the team's forward group prior to the 2012-13 season, even if one problem could be solved via the draft (more on that tomorrow).

And then there's the defense, perhaps the team's biggest Achilles heel this season. If we assume that Andrei Markov will be back and will play like a top pairing defender, then that obviously helps the situation, giving the team two competent pairings. But there is still a need to add a top 4 guy on defense, and ideally one who could pick up the slack if Markov were to get hurt again (think Roman Hamrlik of a few seasons ago). A problem is that much of this "new guy"'s future cap hit is presently being made by Tomas Kaberle, a player not trustworthy enough to take on the role. The hope would be that with Markov and P.K. Subban on the top PP unit next season, the need for Kaberle would disappear and the team would find a way to move him. Taking a run at possible UFA Ryan Suter this summer would cure much of what ails the team's back end, but there are lesser money options who could also be signed to help the situation, such as Dennis Wideman, Brad Stuart, or Bryan Allen. A key will be that if Suter isn't the guy (meaning the player signed isn't part of a very long-term plan), then the Habs should be looking to get someone on a short-term deal. There are an incredible amount of defensive prospects who should be ready to make the leap in the next 1-3 years, so the team will eventually need to find room (though there is no need to rush anyone).

So what does this all mean? I'm not suggesting that you start licking your chops at the prospect of taking Nathan MacKinnon first overall in 2013, but there is much work to do for whoever will be managing the team into the summer and next season. Some unpopular decisions will have to be made; for one I could foresee the trading of Lars Eller before he reaches his full potential for a player to fill a top 6 wing slot. But once the team properly identifies a core and its needs around it, we should start to see some real progress.

A Day as Pierre Gauthier: Thinking Long-Term

Is Pierre Gauthier done for the summer? Aside from adding a needed depth defenseman for the Hamilton Bulldogs, it looks like the present group of signed players MAY be the team with which the Habs start the season. And if this is the case, Habs fans shouldn't panic. The team has a good enough group to start out strong, and should eventually look to fill holes as we get closer to the trade deadline.

But for today, let's think much longer term than this. As a G.M., Gauthier's job goes far beyond preparing for this season. He must have a plan that looks ahead, ensuring the club will be competitive for years to come. Thanks to CapGeek.com, let's start by looking at the contracts the Canadiens have in place.

What this tells us is that:

1) Gauthier has cap space to work with in the immediate future

2) A "core" is locked up till at least the summer of 2014

3) Next summer, the biggest priorities will be signing RFAs Carey Price and P.K. Subban long-term

How big of a concern is it that Montreal has big dollar players locked up for the next few seasons? It certainly didn't matter much this summer where the UFA crop was average at best. But the long-term plan must not only consider the team's own players (and prospects of course), but also who may become available in years future.

Of course, we can never be certain exactly who will hit the market. The further ahead we look, the less predictable things become. Most UFA classes look tantalizing a year+ ahead of time, and are whittled down with re-signings well before the July 1st date.

But for fun, let's peek ahead. By the time all is said and done, next summer's unrestricted free agents may not be much more appealing than this year's around the NHL. But as of today, here's a look at a Top 25 names of players who will still be 36 and under come July 1, 2012 and are pending UFAs. We've excluded goaltenders from all UFA lists in this piece as we are making the assumption that Carey Price will be the Habs' starter for the foreseeable future.

Next Summer (2012) UFA Class (Age at UFA) - Top 25

FORWARDS

Semin, Alexander (28)

Smyth, Ryan (36)

Doan, Shane (35)

Penner, Dustin (29)

Hemsky, Ales (28)

Boyes, Brad (30)

Avery, Sean (32)

Umberger, R.J. (30) (re-signed 21/09/11)

Kunitz, Chris (32)

Stoll, Jarret (30)

Parise, Zach (27)

Jokinen, Olli (33)

Grabovski, Mikhail (28)

Kostitsyn, Andrei (27)

Huselius, Kristian (33)

DEFENSEMEN

Liles, John-Michael (31)

Wideman, Dennis (29)

Kubina, Pavel (35)

Beauchemin, Francois (32)

Stuart, Brad (32)

Suter, Ryan (27)

Carle, Matt (27)

Coburn, Brayden (27)

Kronwall, Niklas (31)

Gorges, Josh (27)

Who might the Habs have an eye on hoping he hits the market? Well I think Josh Gorges will be retained well before that day, but if the team doesn't feel prospects like Jarred Tinordi, Rafael Diaz, or others will be set, they may seek to bring in a replacement for Roman Hamrlik; something which wasn't done this summer. Here, names like Ryan Suter, Pavel Kubina, Brad Stuart, and Niklas Kronwall would be terrific additions to bring veteran presence once Hal Gill and Jaroslav Spacek are released back into the wild.

There won't be a real need for an offensive forward, though depending on how this season shakes out and the player of younger forwards on the team, a replacement for Andrei Kostitsyn on a third line might be looked at. Many are penciling Aaron Palushaj into his spot, but he has yet to prove that he will be a consistent NHL player (some might suggest nor has Kostitsyn, but he IS an established 20+goal winger). Depending on the cap hit, R.J. Umberger (who can play both center and wing) or Chris Kunitz could be great fits in that role, replacing the lost size and toughness. Certainly a team with Max Pacioretty, Erik Cole, and one of those two in the top 6 or 9 couldn't be considered "small and soft."

Let's take one more leap ahead. Not knowing what the Canadiens will look like at all two years from now, let's see the possibilities of who might be available to them on July 1, 2013 (again, 36 and under only, and no goaltenders).

2013 UFA Class (Age at UFA) - Top 40

FORWARDS

Crosby, Sidney (25)

Getzlaf, Ryan (28)

Perry, Corey (28)

Iginla, Jarome (36)

Roy, Derek (30)

Staal, Jordan (24)

Morrow, Brenden (34)

Burrows, Alexandre (32)

Clowe, Ryan (30)

Horton, Nathan (28)

Zajac, Travis (28)

Weiss, Stephen (30)

Filppula, Valtteri (29)

Gagne, Simon (33)

Fisher, Mike (33)

Hartnell, Scott (31)

Bouchard, Pierre-Marc (29)

Ribeiro, Mike (33)

Connolly, Tim (32)

McDonald, Andy (35)

Lupul, Joffrey (29)

Brouwer, Troy (27)

Neil, Chris (34)

Cleary, Daniel (34)

MacArthur, Clarke (28)

Armstrong, Colby (30)

DEFENSEMEN

Visnovsky, Lubomir (36)

Edler, Alexander (27)

Enstrom, Tobias (28)

Whitney, Ryan (30)

Regehr, Robyn (33)

Vlasic, Marc-Edouard (26)

Hainsey, Ron (32)

Streit, Mark (35)

Zidlicky, Marek (36)

Scuderi, Rob (34)

Leopold, Jordan (32)

Lydman, Toni (35)

White, Ian (29)

Smid, Ladislav (27)

I'll give you a minute to stop drooling and pick your jaw up off the floor. Even if only 1 out of every 3 names on this list makes it to free agency without re-signing, that's 13 top notch players. Referring back to our list of Habs contracts at the top, during this off-season, we'll still basically already have the first two lines under contract. Meaning if Sidney Crosby wants to play for his boyhood favourite team, or if Gauthier can correct a draft day mistake of passing on Ryan Getzlaf, he's likely to have to find a taker for Scott Gomez first. And this summer would seem to be the time to be rid of Scottie's deal, as while there aren't too many centers on the UFA market in 2012, 2013 offers Crosby, Getzlaf, Derek Roy, Travis Zajac, Valtteri Filppula, and more. Plus, Gomer will have just 1 year left under contract, and be due far less in actual cash for that last year, likely making him quite moveable to a team well under the salary cap.

If you're wondering... the odds that Sidney Crosby signs with the Canadiens that summer? Worse than the chance he can't return to the ice this season and decides to retire. That is to say: not happening.

But what if we're stuck with Gomez's deal. An aging Jarome Iginla could make a great linemate for him on a one year deal. Or if neither Kunitz nor Umberger is signed next summer, what about Brendan Morrow in 2013? Want someone younger? There are budding power forwards in Ryan Clowe and Troy Brouwer. There is plenty of offense from the back end available for teams looking to fix a wonky powerplay, but with a stacked puckmover pipeline like Montreal has, the team may just be looking for some defensive help. In this case, an older player like Robyn Regehr, Rob Scuderi, or Toni Lydman might be a short-term fix. It's early to determine how coveted Ladislav Smid will be by then as he still has much to prove in his game, but he could be a good younger option, along with Marc-Edouard Vlasic.

Throughout the next 2 summers, Montreal has the safety net of Mike Cammalleri, Scott Gomez, Andrei Markov, and Brian Gionta under contract already as a base to build on. But what about when they'll no longer be around? As of today, only Tomas Plekanec and Erik Cole are signed for the 2014-15 season, so while very far away, depending on how things go, we may see turnover similar to the summer of 2009. Fortunately for Mr. Gauthier (assuming he's still in charge at that time), the Canadiens aren't the only ones in this predicament. Here's a look at an enormously talented group of guys that could be available that summer.

2014 UFA Class (Age at UFA) - Top 40

FORWARDS

Malkin, Evgeni (27)

Sedin, Henrik (33)

Sedin, Daniel (33)

Datsyuk, Pavel (36)

Stastny, Paul (28)

Vanek, Thomas (30)

Thornton, Joe (35)

Marleau, Patrick (34)

Brown, Dustin (29)

Heatley, Dany (33)

Cammalleri, Mike (32)

Gaborik, Marian (32)

Bergeron, Patrice (29)

Kessel, Phil (27)

Gionta, Brian (35)

Legwand, David (33)

Michalek, Milan (29)

Callahan, Ryan (29)

Pavelski, Joe (30)

Bolland, Dave (28)

Moulson, Matt (30)

Setoguchi, Devin (27)

Pominville, Jason (31)

Gomez, Scott (34)

Steen, Alexander (30)

DEFENSEMEN

Letang, Kristopher (27)

Bouwmeester, Jay (30)

Phaneuf, Dion (29)

Markov, Andrei (35)

Pitkanen, Joni (30)

Kaberle, Tomas (36)

Gilbert, Tom (31)

Meszaros, Andrej (28)

Orpik, Brooks (33)

Hjalmarsson, Niklas (27)

Tallinder, Henrik (35)

Seidenberg, Dennis (33)

Komisarek, Mike (32)

Girardi, Dan (30)

Ericsson, Jonathan (30)

Phillips, Chris (36)

Cammalleri, Gionta, Gomez, and Markov walk out the door? Tough one, but what if Paul Stastny, Thomas Vanek, Devin Setoguchi, and Kris Letang come in to replace them? Needless to say, the summer of 2014 is shaping up to be an exciting one for all hockey fans.

But for now, we'll put away our crystal balls and just look forward to being a little more than a month away from rookie and training camp. If this article scared you about the Canadiens' future, keep in mind they aren't alone in dealing with players scheduled to hit the market. Look at the Pittsburgh Penguins. 2013 sees Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal as pending free agents, while in 2014 it will be Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang's turns. Over the same time period, the Leafs will have to deal with Phil Kessel, Dion Phaneuf, Mike Komisarek, Mikhail Grabovski, Clarke MacArthur, John-Michael Liles, and Colby Armstrong. Nothing to worry about!

Free Agency Weekend - How the Habs Fared

Many joked over the course of last week that with few big names on the UFA market, July 1 might pass without those in the hockey world batting an eye. How wrong they were.

Canada Day was an extremely busy time for virtually all general managers around the league with many huge contracts awarded to what might normally be considered rather average players. This had some feeling that the day's biggest winners might have been those who sat quietly and watched overpayments occur left, right, and center. Still, regardless of the price, there were a number of moves that should help their teams in the quest to win a Stanley Cup, and this includes actions taken by Montreal Canadiens general manager Pierre Gauthier. And so we bring to you a recap of some of the biggest action from a Habs perspective.

First...

THE MOVES THE HABS MADE

1) The Montreal Canadiens sign forward Erik Cole to a 4 year, $18M deal ($4.5M cap hit)

If you've been a loyal reader of the site, you saw HERE and HERE that I was a big advocate of signing Cole this summer, so when it came to pass, I was thrilled. Yes, the money and term are both a LITTLE high, but if you compare it to other deals handed out the same day (Ville Leino, 6 years, $4.5M cap hit / Tomas Fleischmann, 4 years, $4.5M cap hit), it's right at the market rate. Habs fans aren't wrong to be just a little bit concerned with the fact that Cole's last foray out of Carolina (a stint with the Edmonton Oilers) didn't produce sparkling results, but paired with proper linemates in Montreal, a see no reason to doubt his success. He's exactly the kind of player the Canadiens have lacked: a true powerforward who plays a speed game, can take the body, can drive the net, and has a knack for burying the puck. He'll be a great mentor for Max Pacioretty as he continues his development in that mold, particularly able to guide him in returning to the game and the style of play following a serious injury. For his mentorship of Pacioretty alone, this will be a great signing, not to mention the fact that he gives the team a Top 9 that competes with most around the league. Of course it's too early to tell with any certainty how this will pan out, but it's something that has me very excited for the Fall.

2) The Montreal Canadiens sign goaltender Peter Budaj to a 2 year, $2.3M deal ($1.15M cap hit)

If the Cole move excited me, this one was not something I really wanted to see. I understand fully the desire to have a goaltender that is capable of playing multiple games in a row should Price (knock on wood) be injured or sick for any period of time. And there are reasonable questions in Alex Auld's ability to do so. But, despite his games totals as a semi-starter in Colorado, there should be questions on Budaj's ability to perform as such as well. Admittedly he wasn't playing behind a strong defense in Colorado, so there is potential upside to this signing if he finds his game in Montreal, but Budaj is far from the reliable, dependable vet that the Habs missed out on Friday in the likes of Mathieu Garon or Johan Hedberg. And while I'm not sold on him, one positive is that Budaj's best season statistically came when he played just 15 games, close to what he should expect in Montreal. Ultimately, the price is about right, and though I'd have preferred to just keep Auld for the same contract he was given by the Ottawa Senators, the Habs' fate this season won't be determined by the play of their back-up goaltender, and if it is, they're in trouble anyway.

ASSESSMENT GRADE FOR SIGNINGS: A-

Cole fills a big need that we've had for many years. Gauthier fills the other main hole on the first day of free agency. Both signings at market rates. Great to finally land our man, so no real complaints, but no extraordinary coups either.

Next we look at...

THE MOVES THE HABS DIDN'T MAKE

1) Jaromir Jagr signs with the Philadelphia Flyers for 1 year and $3.3M

Jagr was a player I would have liked to see in Montreal given that it was a low-risk, high potential reward situation. He has shown tremendous chemistry with Tomas Plekanec on the international stage, and would have brought a sure-fire future Hall of Fame'er to the Habs for a first time since Patrick Roy (and perhaps Mark Recchi). When reports came out early Friday morning that the Pittsburgh Penguins had pulled a 1 year, $2M offer from the table, and the Detroit Red Wings did the same with a $2.5M deal not long after, I got my hopes up. In the end, it seems the Canadiens' deal was similar to that from Detroit, and Jagr left for the cash and what he deemed a better shot at winning a Cup. Given that we ended up with Cole, all's well that ends well. But I'd have given him $3.5M if it would have made a difference.

2) Roman Hamrlik signs with the Washington Capitals for 2 years, $7M ($3.5M cap hit)

I've been a huge Roman Hamrlik fan over the past few years and was really hoping Gauthier would find a way to deal Jaroslav Spacek and retain the Hammer for one last season. Whether or not there was a trade in place is unclear, but we do now that Gauthier made Roman a 1 year offer, which he turned down to instead hit the market and find a 2-year deal elsewhere. In the end, I'm happy with not matching this 2-year, $7M deal, but will miss Hamrlik, particularly if we can't find a solid, minute-eating defensive d-man prior to opening night. Good luck in Washington, Roman; I'm sure Caps fans will appreciate you, and you've got plenty of puck-movers to cover for!

3) James Wisniewski's rights were traded to Columbus, where he then signed a 5 year, $33M deal with the Blue Jackets ($5.5M cap hit)

I love Wizz, awarding him the Habs Norris Trophy for this past season, but I wouldn't have wanted him at anywhere near that type of contract. At $5.5M, you want a player who is better in his own end than James Wisniewski, or who has shown to be a consistent performer over a number of years. While he is just entering his true prime and may end up playing up to this dollar amount, it is a huge risk for a franchise with an internal budget to respect to lock him up for this long. It is a little funny that, just a year ago, the Anaheim Ducks shipped Wisniewski out of town because they did feel he was worth the $2.75M they would have had to pay him. Now he gets double the amount annually on a long-term deal! I'm sure he'll perform well in Columbus, and he doesn't really fit Montreal's need on the back-end anyway (reliable defensive vet), but it may end up being the biggest overpayment of the day.

4) Jeff Halpern signs with the Washington Capitals for 1 year and $850K.

Much like his predecessors Glen Metropolit and Bryan Smolinski, Halpern performed well in the third/fourth line veteran role with the Canadiens. He was a valued vet in the dressing room, strong in the face-off circle, killed penalties, and chipped in the odd offensive support. This variety of player isn't too hard to replace, and it is also possible the Habs have youngster Andreas Engqvist penciled into the role for the coming season. Alternatively, they may be looking outside the organization to bring in some added toughness in this roster spot. Either way, happy for Jeff to be able to sign in Washington, where he recently got married and has a home.

5) Alex Auld signs with the Ottawa Senators for 1 year, and $1M.

I discussed this move a little under the Budaj section, and am still uncertain as to why the Canadiens chose not to retain Auld. Perhaps he wanted to play a little more, which he should be able to do in Ottawa.

6) J.T. Wyman signs with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Curtis Sanford signs with the Columbus Blue Jackets (each 1 year, 2-way).

The Hamilton Bulldogs will again see major turnover going into next season, as after Dustin Boyd and Nigel Dawes left the organization to sign in the KHL, both J.T. Wyman and Curtis Sanford took advantage of their UFA status to try their luck elsewhere. No huge losses. Wyman seemed like a potential future 13th/14th forward, able to kill penalties and play reliable two-way hockey. Sanford still hopes for his NHL future, and Columbus may give him a better chance than sticking around with the Canadiens. Montreal WILL need to sign a goalie for the Bulldogs, and given who remains, it may be down to Drew MacIntyre and Cedrick Desjardins.

7) Simon Gagne signs in Los Angeles (2 years, $7M)

Brad Richards signs with the New York Rangers (9 years, $60M)

If we are to believe internet rumours, the Canadiens were in on both of these guys, who each chose other avenues. The Gagne contract is of very favourable terms for the Kings, and may end up being one of the best deals of the weekend if he can stay healthy (along with Tomas Vokoun to the Capitals and Steve Sullivan to the Penguins). He would have been welcome here at that price, but it certainly would have cost Montreal at least an extra million per season. As for Richards, it is all but certain that his signing here would have hinged on Pierre Gauthier finding a taker for Scott Gomez, which despite rumours to the contrary, is quite a tall task. Still, it is very nice to see Pierre Gauthier being aggressive and chasing the best possible names available as targets for the Habs.

In addition to the signings, a number of players were traded over the course of the weekend. Given the relatively minimal prices paid, a Robyn Regehr or Cody Franson in Montreal would have been a nice steal for Gauthier, but alas, we can't get them all. As much as I love Lars Eller, the price Colorado paid for Semyon Varlamov was astronomically higher than what the Canadiens got for Jaroslav Halak a year prior, so it would have been nice to have an asset like that around to deal.

ASSESSMENT GRADE FOR NON-SIGNINGS: A

Gauthier was good to stay away from a number of bidding wars, or at least to back down when needed (e.g. not giving Hamrlik a 2nd year). To get a pick for Wizz's rights was another deft move. Habs fans should be very pleased with the man they call PG.

And finally we'll review...

THE MOVES THE HABS COULD STILL MAKE

1) Third String Goaltender

As we mentioned, the Hamilton Bulldogs need a starter (and possibly a back-up if there is no confidence in Robert Mayer and Peter Delmas is not signed). The Canadiens invited a couple of highly touted college netminders to their June development camp in Aaron Dell and Chris Rawlings, so there is hope one may be signed to deal. Even if one is, though, it is likely the Habs will want to pair him with a pro veteran in Hamilton, the best of which still on the market include Cedrick Desjardins and Drew MacIntyre (who finished last year as Hamilton's starter).

2) Changes on Defense

Habs fans, have no fear, Josh Gorges WILL be signed prior to training camp. There is no real urgency to progress on that front as Gorges is an RFA whose rights are well protected. Gauthier knows, as a player entering his prime, Josh is an important piece of his defensive puzzle, and the delay is likely in trying to agree to a long-term contract. However, at the moment, Jaroslav Spacek remains a Canadien, and his play the last couple of seasons has been subpar at best. If Gauthier can find a taker for him, that would free up sufficient cap room to make a run at one of the remaining UFAs, which include Tomas Kaberle, Scott Hannan, Anton Babchuk, and Sami Lepisto. If the current group of d-men remains intact through October, look for this to be the area the team bolsters come trade deadline, as with the added forward depth in Cole and a star starter in Carey Price, it may be a final piece needed to take a run at a 25th Stanley Cup.

3) Toughness Up Front / Depth at Center

A final place the team may want to add is some third/fourth line depth. A lot of fans have expressed interest in Zenon Konopka, a fourth line center without much hockey skill/sense, but who can win face-offs, throw hits, and drop the gloves when needed. As mentioned, this area is not a necessity because Andreas Engqvist played well for Hamilton last year and didn't look out of place in his short stint with the Habs, meaning he could make a fine fourth line pivot. The fact that he's 6'4" doesn't hurt, and he's still only 23. The concern then becomes that Hamilton's center line is very inexperienced, with (aside from Engqvist) two first year pros leading the way in Louis Leblanc and Joonas Nattinen. Since the market is drying up quickly, any new depth player may be acquired via trade.

And there we have it. It's only July 3rd, but we're getting closer to understanding how the Habs may shape up for the start of the 2011-12 season. And from this fan's perspective, things look awfully promising.

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.

A Day as Pierre Gauthier: Off-Season Game Plan

Every Friday, I will insert myself myself into the mind of Habs General Manager Pierre Gauthier and look at the approach I would take, were I in his shoes. For the first such installment, we’ll look at the Canadiens offseason game plan.

Where They Stand

As of today, based on players under contract, the Canadiens are looking at the following roster (note: the salary cap has not yet been set for 2011-12, but based on some conservative reports, we will estimate $62.2M):

FORWARDS
Mike Cammalleri ($6.000m) / Tomas Plekanec ($5.000m) / Andrei Kostitsyn ($3.250m)
BLANK / Scott Gomez ($7.357m) / Brian Gionta ($5.000m)
Mathieu Darche ($0.700m) / Lars Eller ($1.270m) / Travis Moen ($1.500m)
BLANK / BLANK / BLANK

DEFENSEMEN
P.K. Subban ($0.875m) / Hal Gill ($2.250m)
Alexei Yemelin ($0.984m) / Jaroslav Spacek ($3.833m)
BLANK / BLANK

GOALTENDERS
Carey Price ($2.750m)
BLANK

BUYOUTS: Georges Laraque ($0.500m)

CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $62,200,000; CAP PAYROLL: $41,270,509; BONUSES: $400,000
CAP SPACE (13-man roster): $20,929,491

Barring the trading of any of these players, we’d be looking at a little under $21M to find 4 forwards, 2 defensemen, a back-up goalie, and 2-3 press box fillers. No easy task given the goal is to field a better team than last year’s.

So here we are, June 17th, with the buyout period set to begin, and the draft a week away. What are the steps we take in preparing for opening night?

1) Montreal Canadiens trade Jaroslav Spacek to the Edmonton Oilers for Sheldon Souray

Reports have the Oilers ready to buy Souray out if they can’t find a taker by trade. This is where Montreal steps in.

Why Montreal Does it: Looking to contend this season, the Canadiens would love to retain James Wisniewski, but Spacek’s cap hit prohibits further spending on the blueline. Because he’s on a 35+ contract, the team cannot avoid the cap hit by sending Spacek to Hamilton or encouraging him to play in Europe. The only way to save the $3.833M is to trade him elsewhere. Spacek has worn out his welcome in Montreal, and should move on. Souray would be sent to Hamilton, taking his salary off the cap and providing an offensive boost to an AHL club that just lost two of its best scorers (Dustin Boyd and Nigel Dawes). As one of the league’s highest grossing teams, the Canadiens can afford to suck up such a high AHL salary for the ability to improve their NHL roster.

Why Edmonton Does it: Edmonton, on the other hand, has no concern of hitting the cap. In the NHL, Souray’s cap hit is $5.4M, but he has been playing for their AHL affiliate. His actual salary for next season, the last on his contract, is $4.5M, meaning by replacing him with Spacek, they would save more than $600K. Spacek, meanwhile, gives them a serviceable veteran d-man who has previously played in Edmonton to add to their group of young players, who also only has one year left on his deal.

Alternate Options if Rejected:
A) Montreal Canadiens trade Jaroslav Spacek to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Mike Commodore (assigned to Hamilton)
B) Montreal Canadiens trade Jaroslav Spacek and Benoit Pouliot to whoever will take them for a third round draft pick

2) Montreal Canadiens sign Andrei Markov to a 2-year, $10.5M deal



Before July 1st, Markov gives the Habs a small home-town discount, taking $500K less annually than his current contract in exchange for a second year of term. Both sides know that he has a lot to prove in terms of health and conditioning, so the deal is fair to both parties. Markov loves Montreal and shows a little gratitude for all the help he has received from the medical staff the past 2 seasons. For those even considering letting Markov walk, you’ve definitely forgotten how good he is when he’s healthy. We’re talking a potential top 5 or top 10 defenseman in the league. As big of a concern as the injuries are, the fact is, for the most part, they were freak situations. There’s no real reason not to expect Markov to put up a strong 70 or more games this year as a true #1 d-man anchoring the back end. Our best player of the past decade, Markov alone will be able to take this team to a whole ‘nother level.

Alternate Options if Rejected: Wait till the market opens, and attempt one of the following:
A) Montreal Canadiens sign Christian Ehrhoff to a 3-year, $16.5M deal
B) Montreal Canadiens sign Joni Pitkanen to a 3-year, $14.4M deal
C) Montreal Canadiens sign Roman Hamrlik to a 1-year, $3.5M deal

3) Montreal Canadiens sign James Wisniewski to a 3-year, $14.1M deal

With Spacek out of the picture, the Canadiens are free to use his cap space to give Wisniewski the raise he needs, here to a cap hit of $4.7M per year. This number seems fair to both sides, and locks Wisniewski up for the same term as most of the core (Gionta, Gomez, Cammalleri) to get another building block in place. If scoring is something the Habs lack, having all of Wisniewski, Subban, and Markov in the line-up will ensure some help from the blueline, not unlike Vancouver’s composition this past season. Wisniewski has in the past shown more of a physical side than what we saw in Montreal this past season, and it was likely not lost on him that he was playing for a free agent contract. With a 3-year deal in his pocket, he may feel liberated to take the body in a more consistent fashion without the constant threat of injury. While I believe Markov will play a full season, signing a second big-ticket d-man like Wisniewski is crucial just in case injuries strike the group again this year.

Alternate Options if Rejected: Wait till the market opens, and attempt one of the following:
A) Montreal Canadiens sign Kevin Bieksa to a 3-year, $15 M deal
B) Montreal Canadiens sign Tomas Kaberle to a 3-year, $15M deal
C) Montreal Canadiens sign Eric Brewer to a 2-year, $9M deal

4) Montreal Canadiens sign Jaromir Jagr to a 1-year, $4.5M deal

For those who saw the post of a couple of days ago, you’ll know that Jaromir Jagr is my number one forward UFA target. Some rumours had him willing to take as little as $2.5M or $3M to return to the NHL, but given that there are multiple teams in on the bidding, the Canadiens sweeten the pot to get him to sign. Even at age 39, Jagr is a superstar the likes of which the Habs haven’t seen in many years. He has repeatedly shown great chemistry with Tomas Plekanec on the international stage, most recently at this year’s World Championships. There is nothing to suggest that Jagr’s performance in Montreal would be any worse than the 70 points he put up in his final season with the Rangers, especially given that he is in better shape now than he was then. Adding an offensive threat of the sort would volt Montreal into true contender territory.

Alternate Options if Rejected: Wait till the market opens, and attempt one of the following:
A) Montreal Canadiens sign Erik Cole to a 2-year, $9.5 M deal
B) Montreal Canadiens sign Brooks Laich to a 3-year, $13.5M deal
C) Montreal Canadiens sign Ville Leino to a 3-year, $10.5M deal

5) Re-Sign RFAs

Josh Gorges – 4 years, $12M
Max Pacioretty – 2 years, $3.5M
David Desharnais – 1 year, $1M (one-way)
Ryan White – 2 years, $1.3M (one-way)
Yannick Weber – 1 year, $750K (one-way)
Benoit Pouliot – sign & trade for pick/prospect
Tom Pyatt – 1 year, $650K

6) Fill in Roster with a 4th Line Grinder and Back-Up Goalie via UFA

Options for a physical fourth liner with size, signed for 1 year between $700K and $950K: Michael Rupp, Zenon Konopka, Ben Eager
Options for a reliable back-up goaltender, signed for 1 year between $750K and $1.25M: Alex Auld, Ty Conklin, Mathieu Garon, Curtis McElhinney, Patrick Lalime

Putting the pieces together, the Canadiens would end up with a roster like the following:

CAPGEEK.COM CAP CALCULATOR

FORWARDS
Mike Cammalleri ($6.000m) / Tomas Plekanec ($5.000m) / Jaromir Jagr ($4.500m)
Max Pacioretty ($1.750m) / Scott Gomez ($7.357m) / Brian Gionta ($5.000m)
David Desharnais ($1.000m) / Lars Eller ($1.270m) / Andrei Kostitsyn ($3.250m)
Travis Moen ($1.500m) / Michael Rupp ($0.900m) / Ryan White ($0.850m)
Tom Pyatt ($0.650m) / Mathieu Darche ($0.700m)

DEFENSEMEN
Andrei Markov ($5.250m) / Josh Gorges ($3.000m)
Hal Gill ($2.250m) / P.K. Subban ($0.875m)
Alexei Yemelin ($0.984m) / James Wisniewski ($4.700m)
Yannick Weber ($0.750m)

GOALTENDERS
Carey Price ($2.750m) / Alex Auld ($1.000m)

BUYOUTS: Georges Laraque ($0.500m)

CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $62,200,000; CAP PAYROLL: $61,787,176; BONUSES: $400,000
CAP SPACE (23-man roster): $412,824

With three quality offensive lines, a true rough & tumble fourth line, three strong defensive pairings, and Carey Price between the pipes, this line-up looks set to contend for the Eastern Conference title, and then ultimately a Stanley Cup. Moreover, this is a realistic line-up that doesn’t require, say, finding someone to take Scott Gomez in a trade and then signing Brad Richards. It will take a little work, and a little luck, but it is within Gauthier’s reach to achieve such a formation, and the club owes it to the fans to put the best team possible on the ice. For my money’s worth, this is the group I would love to see.