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The Canadiens could have $26 million to spend next summer

 Manuel Sperandio-Lemay
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The Canadiens could have $26 million to spend next summer

As you know, one of the reasons for the Habs’ rebuild is the salary cap. After all, without a salary cap, the CH could just give big contracts to good players and free up the deadwood.

A bit like the New York Mets, who have a bad example: it (really) didn’t work out there.

The fact remains that the salary cap is a factor, but the desire to have one of the NHL’s finest prospect pools is also what motivates Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton to be patient.

And clearly, when you see all the youngsters growing up, it’s clear that it’s paying off. Or at least, it has the potential to pay off.

The more time passes, the more the youngsters will develop. But more importantly, the more time goes by, the less the Habs’ ugly contracts weigh on the minds of the organization’s members.

After all, in addition to the rising ceiling, heavy contracts fade or become easier to trade.

In fact, by the summer of 2025, the Habs will have many unrestricted free agents. Some will be re-signed, of course, but others will leave the Habs.

Next year, five NHL players will be UFAs. And in 2025, we’re talking about seven players.

  • Mike Hoffman (2024)
  • Sean Monahan (2024)
  • Rem Pitlick (2024)
  • Chris Wideman (2024)
  • Samuel Montembeault (2024)
  • Christian Dvorak (2025)
  • Joel Armia (2025)
  • Jake Evans (2025)
  • Michael Pezzetta (2025)
  • David Savard (2025)
  • Johnathan Kovacevic (2025)
  • Jake Allen (2025)
Carey Price (LTIR) and Mike Matheson will be free in 2026, Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson will be free in 2027, and several players will become restricted free agents in the meantime.

And of course, Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki are in town to stay.

Obviously, the picture of these free agents will change according to transactions, buyouts, contract extensions and anything else that happens in the NHL.

But the moral is that the CH will have flexibility. How flexible?

In fact, if we combine the probable increase in the salary cap next summer (by around $4.5 million), the Carey Price contract extension and the current state of contracts, the CH will have the means to have fun next summer.

According to Hart Levine, creator of PuckPedia, the CH could potentially have $26 million worth of leeway next summer.

Remember that next summer, the CH wants to start winning more often again. This year, the goal is to progress, but 12 months from now, the club will really want to fight to have a season leading them to the playoffs.

If all goes well, that’s a reasonable timetable.

We’ve seen how well Kent Hughes can build a club’s foundation. In a year’s time, we’ll see how good he is at renovating the team’s kitchen (to stay in house terms)… and eventually, we’ll see how he decorates the house with the finishing touches.

It’s all going to be very exciting.


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