Michael McCarron’s Qualifying Offer Expires
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July 15th represented the deadline for qualifying offers to be accepted before they expired and for the second straight year, it came and went without Michael McCarron signing a new contract.
July 15th represented the deadline for qualifying offers to be accepted before they expired and for the second straight year, it came and went without Michael McCarron signing a new contract.
It takes several years to really get a feel for a draft class. With that in mind, let’s look back at Montreal’s 2014 draft class, one that had a bit of promise but hasn’t amounted to much just yet.
The Habs took care of business with a pair of their remaining restricted free agents on Thursday, signing wingers Joel Armia and Artturi Lehkonen to two-year contracts.
While the Habs have a fair amount of cap space at their disposal, there are varying reports as to how much they actually have to work with. Let’s break it down by taking a look at Montreal’s offseason cap structure which is considerably different than what their in-season cap structure will be.
Many were expecting the Habs to make an addition on the left side of their back end. Not as many figured that Ben Chiarot would be the one brought in. Having had time to ponder the three-year contract he received, our writers offer up their thoughts on the move.
The Habs weren’t overly active at the start of free agency but they made two moves of note on the opening day. One was the Sebastian Aho offer sheet while the other was signing Keith Kinkaid. Our writers offer up their thoughts on GM Marc Bergevin’s early activity.
The Habs added some more depth on Friday, announcing the signing of centre Nick Cousins to a one-year, one-way contract worth $1 million. Meanwhile, three of Montreal’s restricted free agents filed for arbitration.
Upgrading the left side of the defence was a key item on Marc Bergevin’s to-do list this summer. He took a step towards doing so with the signing of Ben Chiarot to a three-year, $10.5 million contract.
The Habs brought in some more depth down the middle on Wednesday, signing centre Phil Varone to a one-year, two-way contract.
Before the opening of free agency, the Habs made a pair of trades as Andrew Shaw and Nicolas Deslauriers were dealt to Chicago and Anaheim respectively. Our writers have pondered the moves and offer up their opinions on the swap.