Author: Dose

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Nikolaj Ehlers is now the most sought-after player on the market

Mitch Marner, Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand all got out of the independent market by signing contracts with their current teams. Well, in Marner’s case, it was to be traded to Vegas… but still. #SignAndTrade

As a result, the list of free agents is thinner, as of this morning, July 1.

But that doesn’t mean nothing will happen. There will be transactions, rumours and plenty of other things to spice up Canada Day.

But the fact remains that the list of free agents is less impressive than expected on July 1.

Looking at it now, the best player on the market is Nikolaj Ehlers. He’s not a bad player, but he’s not supposed to be a first-rate one.

There are also rumours that Ehlers, who has already been linked to the Canadiens, could take his time before choosing. Great.

Brock Boeser is also one of the big names. And according to many, he wouldn’t be afraid to sign in Canada, in the cold. Will it happen? He who lives will see.

Vladislav Gavrikov (who has the Rangers name written across his forehead), little Mikael Granlund and Jake Allen round out The Athletic’s top-5. Jonathan Drouin (9) makes the top-10.

So, no, it’s not a huge crop.

I have a feeling that, barring a major surprise, we’ll have to go further down the list, among the depth players, to see the Canadiens do themselves justice on the market.

Should we keep an eye on Anthony Beauvillier? We’ll see in the coming hours.

overtime

– When will Lane Hutson be on this list? Or will he earn less?

– He’s a rich man, that Mitch Marner.

– To be continued.

– That’s a big one.

– You have to be careful with Alexander Zharovsky. [BPM Sports]

– Nice contract.

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Lane Hutson: don’t expect a contract extension today

The 2024-2025 season is over: here we are in 2025-2026.

Starting at noon, NHL free agents will be able to sign a contract with a new NHL team. Will it happen at noon this year? I have my doubts. #Maraudage

There are a few names to keep an eye on among the unrestricted free agents, even if yesterday (Brad Marchand, Aaron Ekblad and Mitch Marner, among others) erased several big names from the list of available players.

Of necessity, we’ll be keeping an eye on what happens – or doesn’t happen – with the Montreal Canadiens. There are a few issues on the table right now.

For example?

1. As of July 1, there are now a number of players who are completely free within the organization. Connor Hughes, Gustav Lindstrom and Brandon Gignac, who have already left for Europe, are three such names.

Among the guys who played in Laval, Noel Hoeffenmayer, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and Xavier Simoneau, because they didn’t qualify, are as free as Alex Barré-Boulet.

At the top? Michael Pezzetta, Joel Armia and Christian Dvorak are three forwards who can leave, if they want to. Will any of them return? If so, will it be Armia?

As for David Savard, he’s retired.

2. We also need to keep an eye on the restricted free agents. William Trudeau, Sean Farrell, Jayden Struble and Jakub Dobes are the only four in the organization right now.

Cayden Primeau was one of them, but was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes yesterday.

3. Players entering the final year of a multi-year contract can now sign a contract extension. For those signing a one-year deal this summer, the contract extension must wait until January.

Which NHLers are at the end of their contract in Montreal? Apart from Carey Price, of course…

Among the 2026 unrestricted free agents at the top, there’s Patrik Laine and Mike Matheson. However, I don’t see either guy signing a contract extension right now.

And that’s even though there have been rumors for both – especially Matheson.

Among future restricted free agents in 2026, there are three candidates: Kirby Dach, Arber Xhekaj and Lane Hutson. It’s pretty impossible to see the first two sign today… but rumors are swirling about Hutson.

However, in his piece of the day, Elliotte Friedman (Sportsnet) mentioned that we shouldn’t expect a contract to be signed today between Hutson and the Canadiens. It can wait.

4. We’ll also have to keep an eye on a potential transaction or signing. Until proven otherwise, it looks like the Blues have decided to retain the services of Jordan Kyrou, who now has a no-trade clause.

Will the Habs add depth? Make a big splash on the free-agent or trade market? Find out in the coming hours, but don’t hold your breath too long.

overtime

– Will Jake Allen stay in New Jersey?

– Corey Perry in Dallas or L.A.?

– Will he join the Rangers?

– 15 M per year for the Wild star in 2026?

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Carey Price’s contract: the Penguins are another logical team to take him on

At the moment, only two teams in the entire NHL have a bigger payroll than the Habs for the 2025-26 season: the Vegas Golden Knights and the Florida Panthers.

We’re talking here about the team that signed Mitch Marner, as well as the team that just retained the services of Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad: so it’s not necessarily surprising to see them at the top of the list.

(Credit: Screenshot/CapWages)

The Canadiens, that said, aren’t over the cap as of today. The club has just under $100,000 to spare, and in effect can still place Carey Price’s contract ($10.5 million) on the LTIR. So, he’s got a lot to play for, but…

We know that the club is in the hunt for Jordan Kyrou, who earns $8.125 million a year, and you’d think they’d like to add a few bits and pieces to their group. That said, Price’s contract complicates the matter for one simple reason: the club doesn’t want to place him on the off-season LTIR, since that doesn’t help maximize the in-season payroll.

And since you can’t exceed the cap by more than 10% during the summer, it’s understandable that this is a problem in Montreal right now. Not a huge problem, but a problem nonetheless.

So, for the Habs, trading Price’s contract would give them a lot of accounting clout. We know that the Sharks are a popular destination… but Marco D’Amico also mentioned another possibility: the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Penguins’ case isn’t as clear-cut as that of the Sharks, who literally need a ton of money to reach the salary floor. In fact, in the case of the Penguins, the club has already reached the floor… but we know that Pittsburgh would like to sell.

And while the club has reached the floor, it’s still a long way from comfortably exceeding it. Remember that the floor is set at $70.6 million, and right now, the Penguins’ payroll is $74.3 million.

If a guy like Erik Karlsson ($10M) or Bryan Rust ($5.125M) is traded, then the club will be under the floor. And that’s where Price’s contract could help.

Remember that Price’s contract would cost a team very little, given that even signing bonuses are guaranteed. If a team really wants to pay as little as possible, it could wait until September to go after him (the bonus will have been paid in full by then), but then again, the Habs could try to create a war between the Penguins and the Sharks over this contract.

Because the sooner this contract leaves the Habs’ books, the sooner the club will finally have a little more room to manoeuvre. And while we’re looking to turn the corner, waiting another year for Price’s $10.5 million (and even Laine’s $8.7 million) to leave the club’s books isn’t ideal.

Overtime

– Signing Evan Bouchard for eight years would have cost the Oilers too much.

– The problem is, there aren’t many… and the Habs won’t be alone in this race.

– News from Nikolaj Ehlers.

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“The Canadiens probably hold Mikael Granlund in very high regard”

It’s been a busy day in the NHL. Most of the big names set to hit the independent market tomorrow already have a new deal in their pocket… so it’s likely to be pretty quiet tomorrow.

That said, that doesn’t mean there won’t be anyone on the market to sign. There will be a few names of interest to the various teams… and Mikael Granlund is one of them.

The center forward, who really revived his career in San Jose, finished last season in Dallas. And after 60- and 66-point seasons, it’s a safe bet that he’s going to be a player to watch. Especially in a market where everyone is looking for center players.

And of course, the Habs are no exception, as the club is looking for a second center to play with Ivan Demidov. And in his Sportsnet piece of the day, Eric Engels noted that, in his opinion, the Habs “probably hold Granlund in very high regard”.

He’d be a great solution on a temporary basis.

That said, Engels isn’t necessarily convinced that the Habs will be able to lure him to the city. The market is very advantageous for center players, and even at 33, Granlund is likely to be able to secure a long-term contract (Brad Marchand’s word).

The Habs, on the other hand, would probably like him more for the short term, until they can find a more permanent solution. A bit like Jonathan Marchessault last summer, basically.

If the Canadiens want to be active tomorrow, they may have to make do with depth players. Engels is targeting guys like Connor Brown and Tanner Jeannot, who could help fill the void left by Emil Heineman (and, if he signs elsewhere, Joel Armia).

No, guys like Brown and Jeannot aren’t exactly the stuff of dreams… but after acquiring Noah Dobson (and Jordan Kyrou?), the Habs can rest easy tomorrow.

Overtime

– Don’t jump the gun, Eric, but he’s turning 26 in August.

– What to watch for.

– That’s right.

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Jordan Kyrou with the Canadiens: “70% chance of it happening”

As Kent Hughes said last year: watch for the summer of 2025.

It’s already started in earnest for the Canadiens’ GM, who managed to acquire and sign Noah Dobson on a long-term basis. Already, this has improved the Canadiens.

But has the GM finished? Probably not.

He’ll no doubt be looking for depth tomorrow or in the next few days, but he’ll also be trying to hit another big one. This time, he’ll be aiming for the offensive top-6.

Ah: he’ll also try to trade Carey Price before the start of next season.

The big target right now is Jordan Kyrou, a friend of Nick Suzuki. The Canadiens are working hard to get him – and the Blues are trying to see if they can trade him before midnight, when his no-trade clause comes into effect.

And according to Jimmy Murphy, who is often well-connected in the hockey world, it’s possible to believe that the Habs, who are really aggressive in going after him, will get their way.

In a tweet, he mentioned that the Habs could wake up tomorrow having already acquired Kyrou and Dobson. And from there, a fan asked him what the odds were of Kyrou in Quebec.

The journalist said 70/30… so 70% chance of seeing him in Montreal. That’s his hunch, at the very least.

Kyrou is more of a winger, but he would greatly improve the Canadiens’ top-6. We don’t know what it might cost (would Mike Matheson be part of the deal?), but Kyrou is young and in his prime.

He earns $8.125 million a year until 2031.

overtime

– The Habs wish their former goalie the best of luck.

– Patrick Kane stays in Detroit.

– Indeed.

– He left money on the table.

– His health is clearly not optimal.

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Cayden Primeau traded to Carolina

Earlier this evening, the Canadiens submitted a qualifying offer to Cayden Primeau. As a result, the club retained the goaltender’s rights, possibly with a view to trading him.

And obviously, it didn’t take too long to find a buyer: the Habs have just traded Primeau to Carolina.

And in return, they get the grand prize of a seventh-round pick in 2026.

More details to come…

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Ivan Provorov’s huge contract: Mike Matheson’s value increased today

The NHL free-agent market opens tomorrow at noon… but for the past few hours, the league has been abuzz with activity.

Mitch Marner, Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand have all signed new contracts, so there won’t be much left tomorrow.

There’ll be Nikolaj Ehlers, Brock Boeser… and Jonathan Drouin, of all people.

And on top of all that, another big name decided to stay with his team today: defenseman Ivan Provorov signed a seven-year deal to stay in Columbus.

At $8.5 million, it’s a shocking annual salary… but you’d think the club would have dipped into the money it wanted to give Noah Dobson to retain the services of a guy who’s doing a great job in town.

With Provorov off the market tomorrow, that leaves Vladislav Gavrikov as the only big name on the blue line to test the market. Expect a number of teams to be eyeing him… and for him to sign a monstrous contract.

That said, only one team will be able to get their hands on Gavrikov. So, if a team misses out, they’ll have to turn to the trade market for help on the blue line.

And that’s where Mike Matheson comes in.

With Provorov signing today, the Habs are gaining more and more leverage in the event they want to trade their defenseman. We know that Montreal’s blue line is getting pretty congested with the arrival of Noah Dobson, and with a year to go before the Habs become independent, trading Matheson becomes an option to consider.

Lane Hutson and Kaiden Guhle should be in town for a very long time, so the left side of the top-4 is set for the long term. And the more demand there is for top-4 defensemen across the league, the more the Habs have to consider this possibility.

Mike Matheson at $4.875 million for one year could help out a lot of teams that don’t like what’s available on the market. That’s assuming those teams aren’t on the list of eight teams Matheson doesn’t want to be traded to… but there may well be a way to do it.

To be continued.

In Overtime

– Brad Marchand’s contract details.

– Not a bad deal.

– If a team wants to make it to the finals, they know what to do, hehe.

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The Canadiens have made a qualifying offer to Cayden Primeau

The deadline for teams to submit qualifying offers to players was 5 p.m. today. Remember, for those less familiar with all this, that a qualifying offer still allows a player to sign with another team, but the original team can decide to match the offer or get picks (depending on the amount) if it happens.

This is the concept of restricted free agents, and it applies to players who have not yet reached full autonomy.

At the Habs, we learned during the day that Rafaël Harvey-Pinard had not received a qualifying offer. Then, early in the evening, we learned that Xavier Simoneau had suffered the same fate.

That said, the most interesting case in Montreal was that of Cayden Primeau. The goaltender never established himself in Montreal, but he did a good job in Laval before a difficult playoff run. So we wondered what the Habs were going to do with the goalie, who will be 26 at the start of next season.

In the end, the Habs decided to make him a qualifying offer. He is one of five players to receive a qualifying offer.

More details to come…

Overtime

– Matthew Tkachuk looks happy to see Brad Marchand back in Florida.

– Three more years in Toronto for Steven Lorentz.

– Andrei Kuzmenko remains in Los Angeles.

– Leevi Meriläinen signs one-year contract in Ottawa.

– Jason Demers, who played with Christian Dvorak in Arizona, thinks he could be a steal on the market tomorrow.

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Brad Marchand: a six-year contract in Florida

What’s left for tomorrow?

The Florida Panthers have achieved the impossible: keeping Sam Bennett (eight years, $8M per year), Aaron Ekblad (eight years, $6.1M per year) and Brad Marchand in town. The three pieces of the 2025 Stanley Cup remain in town.

Elliotte Friedman confirms that the little pest will take root in Sunrise on the terms of a – careful – six-year contract.

He’ll earn $32M in total, or $5.33M per season. At 37, let’s say the contract was built around the total value of the deal, since I don’t see him playing until he’s 43. He can already think about renting a house on Robidas Island for his golden years… #LTIR

Details to come…

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It’s done: Mitch Marner is traded to the Golden Knights

We’ve been waiting a while for this news.

And it’s just been confirmed.

Mitch Marner has been traded to the Golden Knights and arrives in Vegas with an eight-year contract. A new page has been turned in Toronto…

The deal will pay him $12 million per season.

It’s a good contract for him… but also for the Golden Knights, who have officially acquired a very talented player who will be able to help the team in the long term.

Eichel and Marner on the powerplay… could be dangerous!

More details to come…