A bumpy road ahead (and keep an eye on Justin Barron)

The increase in the salary cap during the off-season ($4.5 M) means that more teams have room to dance.

This wasn’t always the case in recent years, given that the cap went up so little and teams were always caught short on payroll.

The result? We saw this summer that some clubs let themselves go.

But just because July 1 has passed doesn’t mean it’s all over. After all, there’s still a month to go before the start of the season, and teams will want to get things moving.

And this year, unlike in previous years, the directors will have the means to achieve their ambitions.

As Marco D’Amico reported in a recent article on Responsible Gaming, we can expect a lot of action in the coming weeks in the NHL.

Clubs will want to move – and will be able to do so. It’s already begun in August, and it’s safe to say that in the NHL, we can expect a lot of movement in the coming weeks.

In fact, because many clubs have space under the weight and room to agree a contract, managers will undoubtedly be more inclined to listen to their team’s needs.

The result? A player who passes the waivers would be more likely to be selected, even if his salary isn’t, say, $950,000 a year. It’s also conceivable that this could be done via transaction.

Maybe that’s (somewhat) why the Habs traded Jordan Harris and especially Johnathan Kovacevic this off-season. I say Kovacevic because Harris was traded for a player, not a pick.

And according to D’Amico’s source, rebuilding teams could benefit. #Canadian

Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Alex Newhook, Justin Barron & of course Youppi with Georges Laraque today, they played hockey with kids at Henri-Bourassa school pic.twitter.com/QjiSJ1bdWW

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) September 7, 2024

Because the Habs need to improve offensively and there are young defensemen on the rise, it’s clear that a guy like Justin Barron really needs to watch his back.

I don’t see the Habs putting him up for a waivers, but if the young defensemen push through camp and the opportunity to trade Barron for a forward presents itself, Kent Hughes will have to think about it.

By the way, in Marco D’Amico’s article, Justin Barron’s name comes up often. Is this a coincidence? I don’t necessarily believe in chance, to tell you the truth.

Let’s not forget that Kent Hughes doesn’t necessarily feel the need to move at all costs, but that it’s possible that he might.

Overtime

– Well done.

A new scoreboard will debut at the Bell Centre this season.

Press release ↓ #GoHabsGo https://t.co/IkNwMju20y

– Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) September 9, 2024

– Small signature.

Another RFA signing…hearing Juuso Parssinen and Nashville closing in on a one-way, one-year deal at $775K.

– Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) September 9, 2024

– Reminder: Ivan Demidov is good.