The most significant Montreal Canadiens signing on the first day of free agency wasn’t even of a free agent at all. That’s obviously in reference to Juraj Slafkovsky signing an eight-year extension ($60.8 million). If that’s the way it stays, general manager Kent Hughes will have done the right thing this free agency, in effect having done nothing.
To be fair, both in general and to winger Alex Barre-Boulet, who did sign as well, obviously under vastly different circumstances, Hughes did ink the 27-year-old Quebec native to a one-year deal ($775,000). If you rewind the tape back to 2018, many Habs fans had hoped then-GM Marc Bergevin would snatch up that past season’s Quebec Major Junior Hockey League scoring champion, only for the Tampa Bay Lightning to instead.
Hughes Gives Canadiens Fans What They Really Want
So, in a manner of speaking, Hughes continued his trend of this offseason, of appeasing Canadiens fans, albeit six years later in Barre-Boulet’s case. Having already drafted projected-superstar Ivan Demidov, who surprisingly dropped to No. 5 overall, and Aatos Koivu, Habs legend Saku’s son, at No. 70 overall, Hughes opted instead to focus on other offseason priorities instead of free agency.
That admittedly may run counter to the aforementioned trend, with so many high-profile names having been thrown out as potential Canadiens free-agent targets: Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault, just to name two. However, in the long run, Habs fans will come thank G-d Hughes didn’t sign either. Both having been born in 1990 and presumably set to decline over the course of their four and five-year contracts, they just wouldn’t fit with the timeline of the current rebuild, at least not well in the lineup as it stands currently.
For some context, not to make Josh Anderson the team’s resident whipping boy, but, Like Marchessault, he too has a $5.5 million cap hit ($8,000,000 for Stamkos, both with the Nashville Predators). And he only just turned 30 instead of 34. Granted, it’s an apples-to-oranges comparison to a degree. Expectations surrounding Anderson’s offensive production have always been lower, but it goes to show how fast a contract can turn bad on you and how fast fans can on players if they’re not meeting those expectations, when Anderson missed his projected production by 10 mere points. Sure, 10 is statistically more significant when you’re talking about 30 total. Regardless, getting paid $5.5 million to play a bottom-six role is less than ideal to be clear.
Canadiens Don’t Need a Marchessault
Ultimately, the Canadiens have their core in place. They don’t need anyone else. They need time for everything to gel accordingly. They may face heightened expectations overall in the standings. However, they translate solely to simply contending for a playoff spot. At least they should. You don’t commit long term to a Stamkos if that’s all on which you’ve got designs. And, if you do commit to him, whose ice time would he be getting? That of Suzuki at centre, after he’s established himself as a No. 1? Caufield as his top-line left wing when he’s arguably still developing… and into a complete player at that? There wouldn’t be a point, other than for just the sake of making a splash in free agency, when none is required.
There will come a time when a major free-agent signing on the Canadiens’ part will be justified. It isn’t now, when by re-signing Slafkovsky to the deal he did, Hughes is effectively signalling for everyone it’s still about the future for this organization.
Of course, reports indicate the Canadiens reached out to Marchessault, who said they were his second choice. It’s hard to say how close he actually came to becoming a Hab, though. If history is any indication, maybe wait another half-decade or so to when his new contract has expired and his career is drawing to a close.
Related: The Myth of the Canadiens Hometown Discount
There really was no good reason for a) the Canadiens to sign Marchessault and b) for him to sign with Habs unless out of sentimentality. He has spent the last few seasons trying to establish himself as a top-line player with the Vegas Golden Knights when the Canadiens have got Slafkovsky, who just did last season and plays the same position for all intents and purposes. The development of the latter must be the priority. You’re not going to play Marchessault above him in the lineup.
Barre-Boulet a Depth Signing
At least in Barre-Boulet’s case, the Canadiens secured the services of a native son in his prime, even if it’s a depth signing to be realistic. He scored six goals and nine points in 36 games with the Lightning last season, all career highs (11:11 in ice time). Despite the fact it’s a one-way deal, his last two years with the Lightning were as well, meaning he shouldn’t be guaranteed to make the team out of training camp.
As a best-case scenario, at least in his case, look to him as the replacement for Jesse Ylonen, to whom the Canadiens didn’t give a qualifying offer as a restricted free agent. Coincidentally the Lightning signed Ylonen (to a two-way deal) on July 1, conceivably to replace Barre-Boulet on their depth chart.
Going from Ylonen to Barre-Boulet won’t move the needle all that much for the Canadiens. Look at it from the other side, though. Going from Barre-Boulet to a player who didn’t work out with the Canadiens in Ylonen and, more significantly, Stamkos to Jake Guentzel? It’s a further sign of the changing of the guard in the East, of which the Canadiens are taking part. And all Hughes needs to do to keep going in the opposite direction as the Lightning and win free agency is do nothing (or at least close to it).
Marchessault might have been nice in the eyes of many fans. Here’s a promise: Slafkovsky will be even nicer by the end of the former’s current contract (if he isn’t already, taking into account the discrepancies in their current cap hits, Slafkovsky’s $7.6 million only coming into effect for 2025-26). Therein lies the point. Hughes didn’t have to get Slafkovsky done right now. In so doing though, he ironically has his priorities in check, despite his (best?) efforts to sign Marchessault. As long as he stays the course, avoiding other distractions, he and the Canadiens will be all right. That’s not as much a promise as a logical deduction.
