Writers Weigh In: UFA’s to Target
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With the draft now over, it’s time to shift our attention to free agency which kicks off on Tuesday afternoon.
With the draft now over, it’s time to shift our attention to free agency which kicks off on Tuesday afternoon.
Tuesday, July 1st at noon EST marks the official beginning of the free agency period although teams began to negotiate with prospective UFA’s as early as last Wednesday.
Although the Habs didn’t have a second round selection this year as part of the Thomas Vanek trade, the second day of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft was still a busy one for the Habs.
The Habs added some size and skill up front in the first round of the draft on Friday night.
With Montreal’s top four defencemen locked in for the next few seasons, there’s not much room on the defensive end of things.
At this time last year, right wing was considered the weakest of Montreal’s three forward positions in terms of depth.
The picture heading into free agency next week is a lot clearer now as the Habs announced on Monday afternoon that defenceman Andrei Markov has signed a new three year deal to remain with the club.
Even though the Habs have a fair amount of talent at centre, it is a position that many are hoping that changes will be made this offseason.
The Habs will be on the hunt for a new assistant coach as it was announced on Saturday afternoon that Gerard Gallant was leaving the Canadiens to become the head coach of the Florida Panthers.
It wasn’t that long ago that the left wing position was an area of extreme weakness for the Habs.