Michael McCarron: another Habs first-round pick who signed a good contract elsewhere

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Michael McCarron: another Habs first-round pick who signed a good contract elsewhere
Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images

At the trade deadline, the Minnesota Wild acquired center Michael McCarron. He was brought in to add depth ahead of the playoffs.

And clearly, the Wild liked what they saw. Why? Because the player was offered $19.8 million ($3.3 million per year over six years) to avoid becoming a free agent.

And after several years with the Preds organization, he said yes to the Wild: he's put down roots in Minnesota. He even got a no-trade clause (which doesn't include an expansion process) in the deal!

I understand that the market for centers will be thin among free agents. I understand that offering a six-year deal reduces the impact on the payroll.

But it's still quite a contract for Michael McCarron, who has recorded nine points in 31 games (including the playoffs) with the Wild since joining the team.

It's telling that the Montreal Canadiens, who have at times shown a conservative approach in the draft under Trevor Timmins, drafted another player in the first round who signed a long-term deal elsewhere.

Mikhail Sergachev, Ryan Poehling, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi haven't all become what they could have been, but still: they fall into that category.

If we extend this to second-round picks, Alexander Romanov and Artturi Lehkonen are in the same boat. They were traded by Kent Hughes in 2022.

We can agree that the Habs don't regret letting all of these players slip away. That said, the fact remains that the Habs have seen their players thrive elsewhere.

Better development of prospects drafted locally needs to be handled more effectively. And HuGo's Habs are moving in that direction, judging by their approach.

And if Filip Mesar ever ends up signing a five-year, $25 million contract in Atlanta in 2035, we'll say that the more things change, the more they stay the same.


In a nutshell

– Patrick Roy must love June 9…

– To be continued.

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