Canadiens Restricted Free Agents – Sign Or Let Them Walk

The Montreal Canadiens have a lot of work on the docket this summer, including a handful of restricted free agents that necessitate qualifying offers if the team is intent on maintaining their rights.

The current rules state that qualifying offers (QO) must be tendered to players by June 25, or the Monday after the NHL Entry Draft, whichever comes later. Seeing as the 2025 NHL Entry Draft is set for June 28, QOs will need to be in place by June 30.

With the help from our good friends over at Cap Wages, we’ll take a look at which current members of the Canadiens lineup are heading toward restricted free agency, as well as which players are worthy of an offer.

If a player does not receive a qualifying offer by the deadline, the team relinquishes their rights, and they automatically become free agents who are free to sign with any organization.

Montreal Canadiens Restricted Free Agents In The NHL

Only three players who ended the year in Montreal are set to become restricted free agents, and the good news is that none of them should command much of a raise once the serious contract negotiations take place.

Emil Heineman leads the pack, and given that the 23-year-old forward enjoyed a very solid season on the fourth line (62 GP, 10 G, 8A), it’s safe to say the Canadiens will want to keep him on the books. Prior to the unfortunate car accident in Utah, Heineman was a crucial cog on the best fourth line in the NHL, a situation that gave head coach Martin St-Louis a little more leeway while using a lineup that lacked high-end talent.

If not for the fourth line picking up the offensive slack in December, the Montreal Canadiens would have missed the playoffs.

Following the injury, Heineman, Jake Evans, and Joel Armia’s production quickly dried up, however, his approach to every shift should be enough to convince fans that there’s more potential left to be tapped. Heineman tends to make something happen every time he’s on the ice, whether it’s a shot, a big hit, or a speedy drive down the ice with possession of the puck.

Heineman Qualifying Offer: $874,125

SNIPE by Heineman in the shootout: pic.twitter.com/5hibiP0cCI

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) October 20, 2024

Jayden Struble will also need a new contract, and thanks to a late-season promotion alongside Lane Hutson, much of the concern regarding his development this season was put to rest.

If we’re being perfectly honest, Struble only struggled when playing alongside Mike Matheson or David Savard, a recurring theme on the blue line. He produced encouraging statistics alongside Hutson, Arber Xhekaj, as well as Alexandre Carrier.

We’re yet to see the Struble that was a menace every shift for the Northeastern Huskies, but he has provided enough evidence to suggest he can up his physical play once he feels comfortable with his defensive partner. On that note, Struble did a very good job picking his spots this year, a clear improvement upon his rookie campaign.

ON TOPIC: Finding A Permanent Role For Jayden Struble

Things can (and will) change, but the Canadiens already have the personnel in place to put together a very solid third pairing head into camp. The numbers suggest the easy decision would be to reunite Struble with Xhekaj, as they controlled the vast majority of the shots and scoring chances when used together earlier in the season.

Struble Qualifying Offer: $813,750

Struble obliterates Eklund with a huge hit. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/h0XRG65rCF

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) January 12, 2024

Jakub Dobes rounds out the RFAs in Montreal, and though the goaltending situation has become a little crowded since phenom Jacob Fowler signed his entry-level contract, he still has a role to play with the Montreal Canadiens.

Samuel Montembeault did great during the regular season, finishing as a top five goaltender (5v5) in terms of goals saved above average, but he was also extremely busy. Having Dobes in place from the very get-go next season should offer Montembeault a few more opportunities to rest, and consequently, a chance to be relatively fresh once the playoff race intensifies.

As for Fowler, he will need as much experience as possible before thrusting him into the Montreal spotlight, and that entails a heavy workload in the AHL.

At the risk of denigrating his value and oversimplifying the goaltending situation, Dobes is the ideal insurance policy in the crease.

Dobes Qualifying Offer: $874,125

A huge save by Jakub Dobes to keep the Canadiens in the game. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/T3dJzM8QoY

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) April 13, 2025

Restricted Free Agents In The AHL

There are seven impending RFAs currently playing for the Laval Rocket, including the goalie was that displaced by Dobes and Fowler in both the NHL and AHL, respectively.

Cayden Primeau may have fallen out of favour in Montreal, connoting that there’s a decent chance the team may let him walk without a $1.07 million qualifying offer, but his excellent results following his demotion to the AHL should lead to an opportunity with another organization.

Rafael Harvey-Pinard may be in the same boat, as his production rate in the AHL this year was actually lower than his production rate in the NHL the previous season. The broken leg that took place during a non-team event last summer put him behind the eight-ball, opening the door for younger prospects to quickly surpass him on the depth chart. That being said, the Habs may want to secure his rights with a $1 million qualifying offer to ensure the team has enough depth in Laval to once again push for the Calder Cup.

Sean Farrell was at risk of being among the prospects left behind by the new crop of drafted players, but a mid-season promotion to Laval’s top line gave Canadiens management all the evidence they need to secure his rights with a very reasonable $874,125 qualifying offer.

Sean Farrell opens the scoring for Laval. Assists to RHP and Condotta. It was Farrell’s second goal of the year. pic.twitter.com/eXHUFspkG3

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) December 22, 2024

Xavier Simoneau, on the other hand, produced roughly half the points compared to his output in 2024-25, and I’m not convinced he figures into the team’s long-term plans. The good news is that Simoneau is the epitome of a hard-working player who will offer an honest effort every shift, and keeping him in the fold would lead to a very reasonable $813,750 qualifying offer.

That leaves a trio of defencemen on the docket: Noel Hoefenmayer, Gustav Lindstrom, and William Trudeau.

All three require a qualifying offer of $813,750, giving the Habs a few options when it comes to maintaining good defensive depth on the farm. There may not be room for all three, as players such as Adam Engstrom, David Reinbacher, and Logan Mailloux are expected to play a bigger role next year, but the one eternal truth in hockey is that you can never have enough healthy defencemen in the organization.

All Montreal Canadiens salary cap information via Cap Wages.