July 1st was the first day that the Habs could sign Ivan Demidov to a contract extension. They’ve done just that as his agent announced that Demidov and the Canadiens are in agreement on an eight-year deal.
The Habs are bringing another of their unrestricted free agents back for next season. The team announced on Wednesday that they’ve signed goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen to a one-year, one-way deal.
For the second straight summer, the Habs have signed veteran winger Alex Belzile on the opening day of free agency. They’ve agreed to terms on a one-year, two-way contract worth the league minimum at the NHL level.
Fifth-round picks rarely matter in the NHL. Most players don’t make it and of those that do, they’re often not core players. Brendan Gallagher was the exception, becoming a player who meant a lot to the organization and Montreal as a whole.
Monday was an important day on the NHL calendar with qualifying offers due by 5 PM Eastern Time. The Habs had 11 players to give offers to and elected to do so with eight while three others will become unrestricted free agents.
Brendan Gallagher’s time with the Canadiens has come to an end. The Habs have dealt the veteran to the Canucks in exchange for future considerations.
We’re a little less than a week from the qualifying offer deadline, at which point the Habs need to make decisions on several players, including Kirby Dach. Unfortunately for the team, there aren’t really any good options for the 25-year-old.
With Montreal’s Cinderella playoffs in the rear window, we continue with our report cards. Having already covered the forwards, it’s now time to evaluate the goalies and defencemen.
The Habs had themselves a playoff run that few were expecting, making it to the Eastern Conference Final. Now, let’s look back and evaluate their performance with some report cards, starting with the forwards.
With individual awards now done with, the NHL revealed its end-of-season teams on Friday. A pair of Habs made the All-Rookie team while another landed on the Second All-Star Team.