Hickey on hockey: Crucial contract seasons await front-line Canadiens

Brendan Gallagher's extension leaves Habs general manager Marc Bergevin with some difficult decisions for 2021-22.

Pat Hickey  •  Montreal Gazette
Oct 16, 2020  •  October 16, 2020  •  4 minute read
MONTREAL, QUE.: JANUARY 15, 2020 -- Montreal Canadiens Phillip Danault celebrates his goal with Ilya Kovalchuk during second period of National Hockey League game against the Chicago Blackhawks in Montreal Wednesday January 15, 2020. (John Mahoney / MONTREAL GAZETTE) ORG XMIT: 63744 - 7318
Canadiens' Phillip Danault celebrates his goal with Ilya Kovalchuk during second period against the Chicago Blackhawks in Montreal on Jan. 15, 2020. Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette

Now that the Canadiens’ roster appears set for the coming season, is it too early to look at what things will look like the following season?

General manager Marc Bergevin got a head start on the future when he signed Brendan Gallagher to a six-year extension with an annual cap hit of US$6.5 million. It’s the richest contract the club has given to a forward although it should be noted that Scott Gomez had a US$7.357-million cap hit on a deal he originally signed with the New York Rangers.

The Gallagher deal is well-deserved, but it also leaves Bergevin with some difficult decisions. At this point, he’ll have about US$16 million in cap space for 2021-22, but he has to sign seven or eight players. He has four potential unrestricted free agents in Tomas Tatar, Phil Danault, Joel Armia and Jordan Weal, and three restricted free agents in Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Artturi Lehkonen and Victor Mete. Their salaries for the coming season total more than US$15 million and some of them will be disappointed if they’re looking for raises.

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During his video conference call Thursday, Bergevin noted that there will be some relief provided when the team loses a player in the expansion draft for the Seattle Kraken.

The Canadiens will probably go with the option of protecting seven forwards and three defencemen. That means Joel Edmundson or Ben Chiarot would be available on defence and backup goaltender Jake Allen will be available.

As for the forwards, a lot will depend on the coming season. I can foresee a scenario in which Jonathan Drouin and his US$5.5-million cap hit are up for grabs if Drouin doesn’t perform up to his potential in Montreal. Then again, if that happens, there might not be a lot on interest in his services.

Danault is also a wild-card. If he’s not happy with his role in Montreal, he could be left unprotected or he might decide to test the market. He’s an elite two-way centre and that means he’s worth more than the US$3.083 million he’s earning this season.

MONTREAL, QUE.: JANUARY 30, 2020 -- Cayden Primeau locks in on the shooter during Laval Rocket practice at the Place Bell Sports Complex in Laval, north of Montreal on Thursday January 30, 2020. (John Mahoney} / MONTREAL GAZETTE) ORG XMIT: 63871 - 3045
Cayden Primeau locks in on the shooter during Laval Rocket practice at the Place Bell Sports Complex in Laval on Jan. 30, 2020. Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette

Waiting game for Primeau:The two-year extension for Jake Allen means Cayden Primeau will have to wait longer before he backs up Carey Price.

Bergevin noted that goaltenders take longer to develop and the decision to extend Allen was made in consultation with goaltending coach Stéphane Waite. Primeau turned 21 in August and has plenty of time to establish himself.

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The same can’t be said for Charlie Lindgren, who will be 27 in December. He has a one-way contract, but little possibility of seeing action in Montreal in the future. He finished last season as Price’s backup, but the best he can hope for is a chance to share the workload with Primeau in Laval or that the Canadiens deal him to another organization.

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Lindgren started his NHL career with five wins and a 6-0-1 record in his first seven games. Since then, he has a 4-12-1 record.

Caufield, Big 10 ready to rock:University of Wisconsin sophomore Cole Caufield, the Canadiens’ first-round draft pick (No. 15 overall) in 2019, will have a place to play this winter. The Big 10 has announced it will start its season as soon as Nov. 13 with each team expected to play 28 regular-season games.

Caufield will miss some of those games because he will be representing the United States at the world junior championship, which begins on Boxing Day in Edmonton.

Each of the seven Big 10 schools will play each other four times and they will also play four games each against independent Arizona State. The bad news is that the players won’t get a mid-winter break in the sun because Arizona State will play all its Big 10 games on the road.

Russians left in the cold:When Ilya Kovalchuk was traded to the Washington Capitals on Feb. 23, many fans hoped that Bergevin would bring back his latest reclamation project when the Russian became a free agent at the end of the season.

It not only didn’t happen but it appears there’s no interest in the 37-year-old former No. 1 overall draft pick. Kovalchuk had six goals and seven assists in 22 games with the Canadiens and made the players around him better, but he didn’t do much in Washington. He had one goal and three assists in seven regular-season games and one assist in eight playoff games.

He’s not the only Russian with a Montreal connection looking for work. Alex Galchenyuk, who had a US$4.9-million cap hit last season, has worn out his welcome in Arizona, Pittsburgh and Minnesota since he was traded to the Coyotes for Max Domi two years ago.

phickey@postmedia.com

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