Now that Sean Monahan has received a one-year contract extension from the Montreal Canadiens, general manager Kent Hughes can cross off an item from his long list of files to settle before seeing the players start skating. on the sidelines of the next Habs season.
Since he was eligible for full autonomy, Monahan was a risky case to leave the organization without Hugues receiving any compensation for his services.
With one less contract to settle, what else are on the table for CEO and Executive Vice President Jeff Gorton?
Autonomous players with compensation (RFA)
Denis Gurianov (right to arbitration)
Jesse Ylonen
Nicolas Beaudin
Rafael Harvey-Pinard
Lucas Condotta (right to arbitration)
Mitchell Stephens (right to arbitration)
Joel Teasdale
Of this lot, the Gurianov file is undoubtedly the most pressing because of the qualifying offer of $2.9 million associated with his services.
A 12th round pick in 2015, Gurianov came to Montreal in February in a trade with the Dallas Stars for Evgenii Dadonov. The Stars had thrown in the towel in his case and the Canadian, after the analysis of Hugues and his inner circle, could do the same.
Gurianov’s fate is likely to be decided a little before July 1, depending on the Canadian’s potential buyouts. If Hughes frees up a spot in his potential top-9, maybe he’ll want to take a chance for less than $3M. Otherwise, he could let the striker feel the pulse of the market for his services.
Montreal fans will also be curious to see the fate reserved for Rafaël Harvey-Pinard, who rocked the Bell Center during a season essentially over during the team’s last games.
Due to his young career, Harvey-Pinard is still a bargain with a qualifying bid of just $787,500.
Independent players (UFA)
Jonathan Drouin
Paul Byron
Alex Belzile
Anthony Richard
Chris Tierney
Corey Schueneman
madison bowey
The name on everyone’s lips, of course, is that of Jonathan Drouin.
With the ups and downs of recent seasons, the 28-year-old forward left the contract signed at the time by Marc Bergevin, which brought him an average of $5.5 million.
Drouin, who has scored 48 goals and collected 138 assists in 321 games with the CH, was undeterred by questions from journalists when emptying the locker room in the spring and he knows that there is a real possibility that he will not put on the uniform of the Canadiens for the rest of his career.
After all, acquiring Drouin in a polarizing transaction was not Kent Hugues’ project, but Marc Bergevin’s. If the new CEO wants to put his mark on the team for the coming seasons, he could turn away from the less successful attempts of his predecessor.
As for Paul Byron, we might be talking about retirement for the 33-year-old striker.
Bothered by injuries all season, Byron still had hip pain in the spring when he skated. On the other hand, he could remain in the bosom of the team, even if it is not as an active player. Hugues could surprise us by changing the role of the veteran since he is popular in the team’s locker room.
Monahan was just a file for Hughes to manage and the next few days will be very active for the GM before the draft and the opening of the free agent market.
We also note that goalkeeper Frédéric Allard, even if present in the Canadian workforce, will play in Europe next season.
In addition, the team has until March 30 to make its decision in the Tony Sund file, acquired from the Sharks in March via a trade. He still plays in the Swedish Elite League.
