The Canadiens have two of the 15 worst contracts in the league

To make it far in the playoffs, a club must have players who play beyond their contract value. It’s a principle that all NHL managers know.

The Habs have put themselves in a position to do just that one day, as Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky will all earn less than $8 million a year over the long term.

And with the cap about to rise, that could help the Flannel.

Nick Suzuki is already a bargain. So is Mike Matheson, but he’ll be a free agent in two years, before the Habs’ Stanley Cup window opens.

Remember when Suzuki’s $7.875-million-a-year contract wasn’t a bargain, it was a millstone around Dom Luszczyszyn’s neck? The Athletic’s specialist has seen this aspect of his statistical analysis age badly in recent years.

But that doesn’t mean the Habs have lost their place in his ranking of the league’s worst contracts.

In the last few hours, Dom Luszczyszyn (The Athletic) published his top-10 list of the NHL’s worst contracts of the moment. And among the five honorable mentions are Josh Anderson and Brendan Gallagher, two guys who are increasingly the talk of the town.

Also featured is Pierre-Luc Dubois, but as we know, the Capitals member is not in Montreal.

Of course, we know that one of the things holding the Habs back is bad contracts. And right now, the Habs have three that stand out above the rest: Gallagher, Josh Anderson and Carey Price.

Since Price ($10.5 million a year for two more years) is on the LTIR, he’s not as bad, but he’s still on the chopping block.

Remember that the two forwards earn $6.5 million a year (Gallagher) and $5.5 million a year (Anderson) for three more years. Clearly, they’re not in a position to be traded.

The Habs are letting time pass so that one day, a decision will be easier to make. Whether it’s a buyout, a trade, the long-term injured list or whatever, the smaller the contract, the less long-term impact the decision has.

In 12 months’ time, when the cap has gone up (again), a little more time has passed and other contracts are expiring in Montreal, the Gallagher and Anderson deals won’t look so bad. I did say “look” worse.

Overtime

– The Blues have been (partially) sold.

Another NHL club is in the process of selling a larger portion of its franchise, which is nearing completion and is expected to be finalized this summer. https://t.co/n3tWwCnHlE

– David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) July 18, 2024