Looking for the next Sean Monahan

Kent Hughes has made no secret of the Montreal Canadiens’ lack of marquee free agent signings. Like most teams, the Habs are interested in adding some talent to their top six, but they simply aren’t willing to destroy the age structure of their core group of players by offering a veteran player the type of term that would limit their long-term financial maneuverability.

It’s a wise approach to free agency, especially when you consider that teams reacted to news of the salary cap increase with the same reservations about the future that a golden retriever would show if presented with a plate of pasta.

“We have so many young players,” Hughes explained. “So we’re not worried about paying a player, but the term is an issue. We didn’t want to do four- or five-year deals. We wanted to add a player if he could be a top-six player, short-term. If we can do that, great, but if we can’t do that, it’s not a critical aspect of our long-term rebuild. Day one (of free agency) was finding a top-tier player who wanted a short-term deal, which is tough, but you’ve got to try.”

Few fans would fault the team for being hesitant to offer older players long-term contracts, but there is certainly some truth to the idea that the Canadiens would do well to add a player to the roster who can play in the top six, or at the very least solidify the third line.

The Habs may not be able to offer contract extensions to aging players, but their recent success in rehabilitating Sean Monahan’s market value points to a strategy that could lure another veteran into the league looking to extend his shelf life in the NHL. With Day 1 of free agency behind us and most players set to sign long-term deals en route to new teams, let’s take a look at the remaining available free agents who could benefit from the Canadiens’ rebranding services.

Vladimir Tarasenko

Say what you will about Tarasenko’s defensive play, but he would certainly fill a pressing need. Even while bouncing from team to team, the 32-year-old has managed to maintain a very respectable goalscoring pace, with the vast majority of those goals coming when teams were evenly matched. Without getting bogged down in the specifics of his usage, his even-strength goals-per-60 production would have easily ranked first among all Canadiens players last year.

Of course, he’s not Martin St-Louis’ ideal player, but most coaches would appreciate adding a player like Tarasenko to the lineup, especially in a lineup that starts off as attacking as St-Louis’.

Tarasenko 🥵 photo.twitter.com/CCH0gqAH3C

— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) March 3, 2023

Tomas Tatar

Yes, we’ve been down this path before. But despite his unceremonious departure from Montreal, it’s fair to say that Tatar was vastly underrated during his time with the Habs. The days of Tatar, Brendan Gallagher and Phillip Danault putting together some of the best underlying numbers in NHL history are behind us, but the 33-year-old winger could add value to the organization both on and off the ice.

Adding another Slovak to the lineup would certainly put a smile on Juraj Slafkovsky’s face as they could then discuss Montreal’s shocking lack of quality free range chickens And free range chickensBut beyond the familiarity factor, Tatar’s tendency to control the flow of the game thanks to his excellent work in the neutral zone would also be welcomed by St. Louis. The Montreal Canadiens have struggled to perform off the rush, and Tatar happens to be the type of player who knows how to position himself in the neutral zone to provide escapes for pressured defenders.

Michal Ivan scores his first of the #MensWorlds after a great pass from Tomas Tatar.

Juraj Slafkovsky also gave an assist. 5-1. photo.twitter.com/MVxbfFAga7

— Steven Ellis (@SEllisHockey) May 21, 2024

The third option(s) for the Montreal Canadiens

It’s not easy to find players on the wrong side of 30 who can still add value to the table for the Habs, while also benefiting from the opportunity they offer in the team’s top six. James Van Riemsdyk and Adam Henrique are a bit too old to consider. The same can be said for former Montreal Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty. He’s done reasonably well in reinventing himself after two horrific Achilles tears, but the biggest issue, aside from his injury history, would be his lack of speed.

That wouldn’t be a problem for 25-year-old Kailer Yamamoto, who was denied a qualifying offer by the Seattle Kraken on Monday and thus became a free agent. The question is whether he still has the ability to score 20 goals, as he did in 2021-22, or whether the last two seasons are indicative of a player in the midst of a productive free fall.

The good news is that he’s produced strong underlying numbers with both the Seattle Kraken and the Edmonton Oilers, but the last thing the Habs need to do is add another player to the lineup who will struggle to score consistently from the second or third line.