Former Canadiens Players Find New Homes in Free Agency

Several former Montreal Canadiens players will be playing for new teams come October, a situation that was facilitated by how quickly NHL teams were willing to offer players big money on less-than-ideal targets knowing the salary cap is set to increase significantly.

To give you an idea of how thin the open market was for centres, Christian Dvorak managed to land a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Flyers that will pay him $5.4 million, a rather elevated salary when we consider the 29-year-old is yet to produce more than 35 points in a season. The Flyers were clearly trying to temporarily plug a gap in their lineup, but given that they only offered Dvorak a short-term deal, the risk associated with the high cost is minimal.

It also explains why general manager Kent Hughes did not come to terms with Dvorak on an extension, while hitting on the narrative that the NHL simply lacks enough talent to go around.

Feisty forward Michael Pezzetta also left Montreal in an attempt to find greener pastures, at least during the regular season. Pezzetta, one of the hardest working players in the lineup, signed a two-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs that carries an annual average value of just $812,500. You may be wondering why the Leafs opted to sign Pezzetta, especially since they still have Ryan Reaves under contract for another season. It’s likely due to playing styles, not to mention Pezzetta’s ability to take a semiregular shift. While Reaves is the better fighter, Pezzetta brings much more energy to every shift, giving him an inside track when it comes to his value to the coaching staff.

ON TOPIC: Canadiens Unrestricted Free Agents Speak To Roster Turnover

Joel Armia will be joining the man who originally traded for him during his tenure as the general manager of the Canadiens, signing a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Kings, ensuring he will reconnect with Marc Bergevin. All things considered, this was a good value deal for the Kings, as both the term and cost remained reasonable. The Habs have a bevy of prospects who have fourth-line potential, and they have to focus their money on players who can actually move the needle, but it must be noted Montreal lost a very good penalty killer when Armia opted for the sunny beaches of Los Angeles.

Finally, we have to discuss the departure of Alex Barre-Boulet and Rafael Harvey-Pinard, the final two players who dressed for at least one game with the Habs to find new organizations this summer. Let’s be honest, Barre-Boulet is an excellent player in the AHL, but at 28 years old, it would be foolish to suggest the Canadiens lost much value. Barre-Boulet is dead set on making his way to the NHL, and we wish him luck, but the fact that he signed a one-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche will only be felt in Laval, where Barre-Boulet served as the Rocket’s leading scorer last season.

As for Harvey-Pinard, we’ll always have his memorable end to the 2022-23 season, when he managed to score 14 goals and six assists in 34 games, but a series of injuries, including a broken leg that occurred in a non-team event last summer, completely negated his offensive prowess. He finished last season with just five goals and 14 assists in 40 games for the Laval Rocket, fewer points than he managed during his breakout campaign in the NHL.