Qualifying offers are due by Sunday and if pending restricted free agents don’t receive one by then, they’ll become unrestricted on Monday. That’s the route that Jesse Ylonen will be taking as Jeff Gorton confirmed today that the Canadiens will not tender him a qualifying offer this weekend.
The Habs have largely had the same group of right wingers for several seasons now. It’s a group that features some veteran underachievers while in terms of prospect depth, it’s not the deepest spot in the organization.
The Habs have made a concerted effort to add some options down the middle to address a long-standing need. While they’ve certainly improved in that regard, there is still room to try to add to their group of centres.
A few weeks ago, the Habs thought they had Laval’s coaching staff figured out with J-F Houle getting a three-year deal. However, that’s no longer the case as Houle has resigned to take on the same position with Clarkson University.
The Habs have emphasized trying to add down the middle in recent years with the additions of Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook. Even so, Montreal’s pool has a fair bit of depth on the left wing.
The Habs had three junior-aged players on an NHL contract this past season, bringing the oft-mentioned ‘slide rule’ into play once again. Here is a breakdown of the changes to their contracts.
While it took a bit longer than some expected, the Habs have indeed agreed to terms with Oliver Kapanen, announcing on Saturday that they’ve signed the forward to a three-year, entry-level deal.
For years, the right side of Montreal’s back end has been a trouble spot. However, the team has reloaded at that spot in recent seasons and in time, it could become one of their organizational strengths.
It’s well-known at this point that the Canadiens have ample depth on the left side of their back end. How do things shake out for the rest of the organization?
The Habs have added some goaltending depth to the organization as the team announced on Tuesday that they’ve signed free agent netminder Connor Hughes to a one-year, two-way contract.