Unresolved Issues Remain for the Montreal Canadiens

While we enter the dog days of summer, hockey news becomes a slow trickle.

The Montreal Canadiens made a few moves on July 1st and have signed the majority of their restricted free agents.

With most roster spots apparently occupied, the team seems to have a well defined outline.

Nonetheless, there are some issues that Marc Bergevin and his team will need to sort out in order to  begin the season with confidence.

P.K Subban's Contract

As stated above, all of the squad's restricted free agents have been signed — save for P.K Subban.

Considering his team-leading ice time, that is one heck of a player to still have unsigned.

With equally young blueliners such as Erik Karlson and Tyler Myers receiving long-term, richly paid contracts, one can easily assume Subban's agent is using that as leverage to obtain the same for his client.

Conversely, the Canadiens may not be too keen on extending such a long deal to the defenseman, especially if the new CBA's rules prove more favorable. Having said that, they cannot be too excited about any contract that would allow Subban to become unrestricted at its end.

The question then becomes, do you lock up Subban long-term or give him a shorter deal that will keep him within the realm of restricted free agency?

The Trifecta

Think what you will about Tomas Kaberle, Rene Bourque and Scott Gomez, the fact remains that Marc Bergevin will have to make a decision, one way or another, about what to do with these players and their rather hefty cap-hits.

Scott Gomez has done next to nothing to redeem his subpar performance and his contract makes him very difficult to move.

Rene Bourque and Tomas Kaberle can prove useful, but their deals also eat up significant money.

Ultimately, with so many dubious deals on the books, it will be very difficult for Bergevin to add to his team down the road.

With a much deeper pool of free agents ahead next summer and the omnipresent potential for trades, it would be wise to clear at least some of the above mentioned salaries.

Logjam on the Back End

You can never have too many NHL-ready defensemen. At least, so goes the old adage. And, for the most part, it is quite true.

However, when it comes to the Habs' blueline depth, it has an element of sameness that is concerning.

Think of Yannick Weber, Raphael Diaz, Tomas Kaberle, Brendon Nash and Frederic St-Denis.

What comes to mind?

Typically, terms like "offensive minded" or "puck moving" are quick to pop up.

While that type of defender can be most useful, your NHL-ready depth cannot consist almost solely of that kind of player.

At one point, some pieces will have to be moved and toughness will need to be added to back end.

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Louis is an Associate Editor and Senior Writer at HabsAddict.com. Born near Chicago, Louis grew up in Quebec City where he earned Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Université Laval. He is also an occasional guest on CKCU's Red Zone program.
Find him on Twitter @LouisMoustakas

(Photo by Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images North America)

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