The hope is that the young players on the Montreal Canadiens will grow and develop and the future looks bright for the team. Few expect the team to compete yet, but general manager Kent Hughes is not only thinking about now but the future as well.
This new-look Canadiens that had some roster turnover in the offseason is only going to continue to bring young bodies into the lineup from their system. Right now, this team doesn’t seem like a match for free agents in their late 20s or early 30s, according to Hughes. He said, “The problem with free agents is that they are often 27, 28, 29 years old. Normally, the value of these contracts is at the beginning, not the end. To get this type of player to help us, we have to believe that we are closer. Because otherwise, when we are ready, they will no longer be ready.”
Hughes knows what he is building in Montreal and knows he has strong internal pieces. They stood pat in free agency this summer to clear cap space, knowing that signing big free agents often means overpaying in the back half of their careers. The best time to sign those free agents is the year before a team is expected to compete or during their competitive window. Going after some of the best free agents that may be available next offseason (and there are a lot) could potentially hurt the Canadiens when they are primed to climb the standings in a few seasons after that.
Say the Canadiens are three years from having a shot at not only making the playoffs but winning a round or more. If they go after a big-name free agent who’s in their late 20s or early 30s in 2024 because the player they want is available and willing to come to Montreal, that would essentially throw two years of that player’s best hockey down the drain if the Canadiens don’t qualify for the playoffs at the very least. As Hughes said, they will get a player’s best hockey in the first few years of a deal signed in their late 20s. The Canadiens, or any team, need players at the peak of their game to have the best shot at winning the Stanley Cup.
A Look Into the Free Agent Future
The 2024 free-agent class should be strong. As of now, it will include Steven Stamkos, William Nylander, Sam Reinhart, Jake Guentzel, Tyler Bertuzzi, Jason Zucker, Teuvo Terevainen, Brady Skjei, Jonathan Marchessault, Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, Vladimir Tarasenko, and much more. What do all of those players have in common? They are all in the age range Hughes mentioned. Sure, they could do very well in the first half of their next contract, but for the best results, the Canadiens would have to be ready to compete as soon as next season. That doesn’t seem like a reality yet, so by the time they are competitive, they would have a declining player when the team needs them at their best.
If the Canadiens are ready to compete in three years, this is what the free-agent class could look like instead: Connor McDavid, Artemi Panarin, Kirill Kaprizov, Jack Eichel, Patrick Laine, Jacob Trouba, John Carlson, Thatcher Demko, Nick Schmaltz, Adrian Kempe, and Rasmus Andersson, just to name some. Canada might not be the preferred destination for some free agents, but the Canadiens are a great organization with a rich history.
Related: Montreal Canadiens’ Worst-Case Scenarios in 2023-24
While signing a couple of key free agents is important, drafting and developing draft picks they make is even more important. Hughes and his predecessor have done a good job of this already, and the Canadiens have the tools to build an elite core from within before adding big-name external pieces. There will be options at all positions for Hughes, and the Canadiens should be prepared to take advantage of that in the future. For now, they must be patient during the following couple of offseasons as the Canadiens ensure that their young players are getting enough opportunities to develop.
