Yesterday was the deadline to present qualifying offers to restricted free agents.
As a result, the Montreal Canadiens qualified a total of ten players, retaining P.K Subban, Raphael Diaz, Alexei Emelin, Brendon Nash, Frédéric St-Denis, Lars Eller, Ryan White, Aaron Palushaj, Blake Geoffrion and Andreas Engqvist.
Michael Blunden and Petteri Nokelainen, amongst others, were not extended a contract and will become unrestricted free agents.
In fact, on a league-wide scale, quite a few interesting names did not receive offers and can also become free agents.
Quebecois blueliners Bruno Gervais and Marc-André Gragnani were released by their respective squads. Gragnani's lack of offer is most perplexing, seeing as how the Vancouver Canucks made a significant trade to acquire his services - along with Zack Kassian - at the deadline.
Angelo Esposito, a former first round draft pick whom many envisioned in Montreal, is also a free agent now.
Do you think Marc Bergevin should target any of these new free agents?
Update - HFBoards has an excellent table of RFAs and their status. Apparently, Guillaume Latendresse was also not extended a QO. Thoughts on that everyone?
Habs and Hockey News
HabsAddict -Montreal Canadiens 2012 Draft Picks Review: Grade A
HabsWorld - Habs issue qualifying offers
La Presse - Gomez: le rachat de contrat n'est pas si simple
La Presse -Alex Galchenyuk: de bonnes notes de son entraîneur
RDS - CH : offres qualificatives à 10 joueurs
RDS - Bouillon et Gervais joueurs autonomes
USA Today -NHL labor negotiations about to begin
USA Today - Hall vote: Sakic, Shanahan to get in; Shero, Burns should
USA Today - Jets' Pavelec signs five-year, $19.5M deal
(Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images North America)
Update - HFBoards has an excellent table of RFAs and their status. Apparently, Guillaume Latendresse was also not extended a QO. Thoughts on that everyone?
Habs and Hockey News
HabsAddict -Montreal Canadiens 2012 Draft Picks Review: Grade A
HabsWorld - Habs issue qualifying offers
La Presse - Gomez: le rachat de contrat n'est pas si simple
La Presse -Alex Galchenyuk: de bonnes notes de son entraîneur
RDS - CH : offres qualificatives à 10 joueurs
RDS - Bouillon et Gervais joueurs autonomes
USA Today -NHL labor negotiations about to begin
USA Today - Hall vote: Sakic, Shanahan to get in; Shero, Burns should
USA Today - Jets' Pavelec signs five-year, $19.5M deal
(Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images North America)
7 comments:
@lou
I want to see some more home grown talent but not Gragnani or Gervais.
If we had a different roster of players which did not includ Weber, Diaz, kaberle then sure I would love to pick up one of these guys but our D is already soft as butter and we need to add some serious toughness to protect some of these young kids.
I am curious to see a lst of all RFA's not offered contracts but at the top off my head i've seen guys like Mueller and Latendresse who have been freed up.
I'd love to re-up on Guillaume and provide some additional size to that 3rd line.
@Bryan
Good call on Latender. Just posted a link with the full RFA list.
A player like him could certainly fill a few voids. Local talent. Size. Scoring. On a third line with Eller, he would look quite good and could fill the void left by the streaky AK46.
@ Lou
Obviously the list is not complete but there are some interesting names on it. A guy like Oreskovitch for instance would be a serviceable 13th or 14th forward.
Wouldnt touch Latendress with ten foot pole. Gragnani took d-lessons from MAB and the other frenchman never heard of.
Definitely would give Esposito a shot. Nothing to lose, everything to gain.
@ Fred
Feel sorry for Esposito. Kid had a promising future but a couple of bad knee injuries and he career was over.
No way he makes NHL club so question is who does he disaplace at center in Hamilton?
I would take a look at Fehr, Samuelsson, Prust, Moss, Burish, Christensen, Winnik or Moen for the 3rd line before Latendresse. He is just too slow and passive for a 3rd line spot. Plus playing with Eller he would need to be defensively responsible which last time I can remember seeing him was not his strength.
Let's not go backwards here. We traded him for a reason, poor effort and lack of results. I do not see him as being what Bergevin says he's looking for.
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