Mitch Marner, Mikko Rantanen, Leon Draisaitl, and Sidney Crosby will finally be free agents in 2025, and Kent Hughes will have the space
While some rumors suggest that Kent Hughes aims to sign a top free agent next summer, he would be better off delaying his plan by at least a year.
As reported by Raphaël Doucet from La Poche Bleue, the Canadiens will have sufficient money available in the payroll at that time, as several team players will become unrestricted free agents.
We are talking here about Christian Dvorak, Jake Allen, David Savard, Joel Armia, and Jake Evans, not to mention Michael Pezzetta and Johnathan Kovacevic. With all these players who could potentially leave the Canadiens, a total of 18 million dollars will be freed from the payroll.
Alright, a lot is likely to happen in the next two years, and we still don't know where the Canadiens will be in their rebuilding process. But what is certain is that the CH fans will undoubtedly be more demanding towards the organization, starting from the 2024-2025 season because, for many, the upcoming season may be the last during which the expectations will still be modest.
But after two difficult seasons, the honeymoon between the new organization and the fans is nearing its end, and the Canadiens will undoubtedly have to accelerate the rebuilding process.
If a player like William Nylander seems to be the most coveted among free agents in 2024, the summer of 2025 will be even more interesting with names such as Mitch Marner, John Tavares, Mikko Rantanen, and Leon Draisaitl becoming free as the air, obviously if they have not signed a new agreement with their respective teams.
| POLL | ||
Which one do you think could realistically be Kent Hughes' target? | ||
| Marner | 53 | 12.4 % |
| Rantanen | 58 | 13.5 % |
| Draisaitl or Crosby | 136 | 31.7 % |
| None | 182 | 42.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
