The Montreal Canadiens started their preseason schedule with a bang, losing just two of their exhibition games before getting ready for their season opener. With Noah Dobson holding the back line, the Canadiens finally have their defense in check.
And with their forward unit producing offense just like they did last season, the Canadiens are preparing for another strong run this season. But while Montreal makes some final roster checks, rumors suggest they could go for one final move later in the season.
Montreal Canadiens Expected To Make a Big Move Heading Into the Season
While the Canadiens did well in their preseason, the franchise is still one player short as they head into their season opener on Oct. 8. With Carey Price’s contract moving to San Jose, the Canadiens have just 22 men on their roster.
But while some think this is simply an attempt at development and depth, others believe it is a subtle move to keep future cap space. With their current lineup, the Canadiens are heading into the new season with $5.5 million in cap space.
Executive Vice President Jeff Gorton understands this. In an interview earlier this year, Gorton admitted that he’s satisfied with their roster but would like to improve it throughout the season.
“We know we’re not a finished product,” Gorton acknowledged. “We’re going to still look and try to improve our team always. I have mentioned before that we don’t look at it like opening day as the end of when you can change your roster. There are a lot of teams around the league that add players after that and all the way up to the deadline.”
But while the Canadiens are waiting for the right opportunity, they might not even have to wait until the trade deadline in March. Under the NHL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, unused cap space is carried forward, growing each day it’s not used.
So by saving the $775,000 on Samuel Blais’ salary cap obligations, they will continue to compound this amount, giving them more flexibility by December. Their $5.5 million in cap space would give them about $14.5 million in prorated cap space by the December Trade Freeze.
This would be more than enough to make a big move by that time. “They’re positioning themselves to be ready to pounce on a trade target that’s made available at any point this season,” said an NHL source on the subject. “Montreal is waiting for the market to shake loose.”
The source believes that Montreal has everything going for it, and it will just need the right opportunity to bag a great piece. But the Canadiens would also need to be careful, as under the new rules starting this season, teams would need to be cap-compliant even during the postseason.
So even if the Canadiens have the necessary space to bring in some new faces right before the trade deadline in March, they would still have to fit them within the $95.5 million cap space.
