Karl Alzner contract/purchase: a mistake not to be made again

The Montreal Canadiens are really moving in the right direction.

The last two seasons have been very difficult to follow, but despite this, fans are excited and optimistic about the team.

In fact, the vast majority of CH fans agree that it’s looking very good for the future.

The team has a ton of talented young players who are either already with the big club, or who will be joining the CH in the coming seasons.

The arrival of Kent Hughes as the organization’s general manager has really brought a breath of fresh air to the team, and fans believe in his project.

And that’s even if the decision to draft defenseman David Reinbacher instead of Russian forward Matvei Michkov frustrated virtually every fan.

People believe in the team, and are excited to see how the young players will develop.

Another encouraging element is the way Kent Hughes manages his contracts.

Since taking the helm, the former agent has signed some excellent contracts that will be very beneficial for the future.

Alex Newhook’s recent contract is further proof of this.

All this to say that we can be confident about the future.

However, along the road to success, it will be important to avoid the mistakes made by the previous management.

One of these mistakes still affects the CH’s payroll to this day.

I’m talking, of course, about Karl Alzner’s contract buyout.

This is the last season in which the #GoHabsGo will be on the hook for Karl Alzner’s buyout.

The contract, which was signed in 2017 & bought out in 2020, is a good reminder of the type of contracts current Canadiens GM Kent Hughes must avoid offering.

⬇️https://t.co/M206jVOydQ

– Dirt McGirt (@MarcPDumont) July 14, 2023

For one last season, Karl Alzner’s contract buyout will affect the CH’s payroll.

833,333 is almost nothing, but it’s enough to remind the new management that this kind of situation is far from ideal, on the contrary.

A contract buyout like this hurts, and hurts for several seasons.

The fact that Alzner’s name is still on the Tricolore’s payroll, even though he played his last game in a CH uniform in the 2019-2020 season, should serve as an important warning to the new management.

As Marc Dumont explains in his excellent article for Montreal Hockey Now, such a situation should not be repeated in the future, especially considering how promising the future looks.

Kent Hughes will have to avoid signing such a big, risky contract (à la Alzner) with veterans in order to try to solidify the team quickly.

The CH has many promising young players, so signing a veteran for what he’s accomplished and not what he’ll accomplish will only be a risk that will eventually block the door for a youngster.

In short, Karl Alzner’s presence on the CH’s payroll for one last season serves as a reminder to Kent Hughes that he shouldn’t rush his rebuild unnecessarily, and that he shouldn’t sign his veterans to nice contracts in order to thank them for what they’ve accomplished.

We’re already seeing this with Brendan Gallagher’s contract, which is hurting the CH more than anything else right now, and will continue to do so for several years to come, especially if Gallagher continues to decline like this.

The contracts of Joel Armia, Mike Hoffman and even Christian Dvorak serve as warnings of things to come, as these contracts are currently hurting the rebuild, as these roster spots could be taken by young prospects.

So, Kent Hughes will have to be careful if he doesn’t want to get in the way of his own fine rebuild.

In a gust

– A third Stanley Cup for him.

– Sad news.

– Stay tuned for the next draft.

– So let’s see.

– Read more.