NHL Free Agency: Montreal Canadiens Eye Potential Signings of Former Players Monahan and Toffoli
The NHL free agent market opens on July 1, providing a chance for the league’s 32 teams to bolster their rosters and for out-of-contract players to secure lucrative deals.
In Montreal, there’s a sense that the Canadiens may be gearing up for some significant moves. While it might not be a headline-grabbing signing, it could still be impactful.
The most talked-about free agents include Steven Stamkos, Jake Guentzel, and Sam Reinhart. Though it’s likely they will stay with their current teams, circumstances can always change.
Meanwhile, two familiar faces in Montreal, Sean Monahan and Tyler Toffoli, will be hitting free agency. Both finished the season with Winnipeg and are expected to sign new contracts this summer.
New, for @TheAthletic: NHL free-agent big board –Reinhart, Guentzel and Stamkos lead our ranking of the top 50 UFAs.
NHL free agency opens in less than five weeks.https://t.co/lVZIXmC2ashttps://t.co/lVZIXmC2as
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 29, 2024
Chris Johnston of The Athletic predicts both players will secure three-year deals, with Toffoli’s projected annual salary at $6.113 million and Monahan’s at $5.258 million.
Both forwards had impressive seasons and are expected to command significant salaries. Toffoli has been a consistent goal scorer, netting 33 goals this season, while Monahan played 88 games (including playoffs) in 2023-24, a notable achievement given his injury history.
Given their ages (32 for Toffoli and 30 for Monahan), three-year contracts seem reasonable for both parties.
A surprising projection from The Athletic is Joe Pavelski, who, at 40, is predicted to sign a three-year deal worth $7.374 million annually, surpassing the deals projected for Toffoli and Monahan. Pavelski remains productive, regularly scoring 20+ goals and amassing 60-70 points per season. However, a three-year deal for a player of his age is unusual. In contrast, Patrick Kane, nearly five years younger, is projected to sign only a one-year deal.
With the Canadiens having the financial flexibility, there’s speculation about whether they might bring back one of their former players. Would you consider re-signing them at these projected salaries?
