The CH could have the most expensive defense in the NHL this season

Pablo Herrera-Vergara
The CH could have the most expensive defense in the NHL this season
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We're slowly approaching the beginning of August, which means the golf tournament is coming up, as well as the start of the Habs' training camp.

Will Kent Hughes pull a rabbit out of his hat by then? Maybe. But until then, we can assume that the Habs will head into camp without any further acquisitions.

Assuming Arber Xhekaj signs a new contract worth $2.5 million for next season, the Habs could end up with the most expensive defense in the NHL in terms of payroll.

What's that? It would require a few conditions.

First, the Vegas Golden Knights would have to place Alex Pietrangelo on the long-term injured reserve (LTIR) list, which wouldn't be at all surprising.

Pietrangelo suffered a serious injury, and he's not expected to return anytime soon. The Golden Knights are currently over the salary cap.

Of course, for this to happen, the other teams ahead of the Habs in this ranking can't add any more defensemen. It's also worth noting that there are still free agents like John Klingberg, who hasn't signed a contract yet and could be a game-changer.

In the meantime, we can agree on one thing: the Habs will have a lot of money tied up in their defensive corps, particularly due to the contracts of Noah Dobson and Lane Hutson. Hutson's new contract begins this year. But, honestly, is that a problem? I don't think so.

The Habs have saved a lot of money on their forwards and will continue to do so over the next few seasons. And the money invested in the defensemen is well worth it. The Canadiens don't have a bad defense—far from it.


In a Nutshell

– He has a good chance.

– Let's just say it's pretty suspicious.

– The Senators are going to need him.

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