Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens are "one of the teams preparing a pitch" for veteran winger Patrick Kane to sign with them if he hits free agency, according to the Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.

It is not yet clear if Kane will be available July 1. His agent Pat Brisson told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun and Chris Johnston that Kane and the Detroit Red Wings were "still talking" as of Saturday.

"The intention is to try and work something out," Brisson said, per LeBrun and Johnston.

Kane became the third player in NHL history to return from hip resurfacing surgery last season (h/t The Athletic's Sean Gentille) as he recorded 20 goals and 47 points in 50 games for the Red Wings.

Part of Kane's offensive success in his return was because the Wings reunited him with former Blackhawks linemate Alex DeBrincat in Detroit.

DeBrincat is signed with the Red Wings through the 2026-27 season, which could provide motivation for Kane to re-sign in Detroit.

But the Red Wings need to be cautious with how they spend their projected $32 million in cap space heading into free agency (h/t CapFriendly) because of the team's ongoing negotiations with restricted free agents Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider.

Raymond and Seider will each need raises after finishing out their entry-level contracts, and the Red Wings also have to consider whether they want to bring back other UFAs like veteran forward David Perron and defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere.

"We're just not gonna have enough money to bring everybody back," Yzerman said Saturday, per Connor Earegood of The Hockey News. "It's not the way it's gonna work. And we'd love to bring everybody back but we're not bringing everybody back, and we're trying to make these deals with all these guys that allow us to bring them all back. But I'm not sure we'll be able to do that."

If the Red Wings are unable to re-sign Kane, the winger's free agency availability could potentially create the opportunity for the Canadiens to add some much-needed offense this offseason.

The Habs averaged 2.83 goals per game last season, the seventh-fewest in the NHL, and only Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky hit the 20-goal threshold in 2023-24. Adding another 20-goal scorer to that roster could be a significant boost to the young Canadiens core next fall if Montreal is able to win over Kane in free agency.

Carey Price had long known his days in the NHL were numbered, but the Montreal Canadiens goaltender confirmed Tuesday that his career in the league is likely over due to a nagging knee injury.

"Barring a miracle," Price said Tuesday, according to TSN. "I'm still under contract and I still hold on hope to the fact that maybe I could play again, but the probabilities are falling by the month."

After leading the Canadiens to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final—where they fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning—during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 campaign, Price underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee.

The 36-year-old returned to the Montreal lineup in April 2022 and appeared in just five games for the Habs to close out the 2021-22 season, posting a 1-4-0 record, 3.63 goals-against average and .878 save percentage.

Price missed the entire 2022-23 season and hasn't played since April 29, 2022.

Price admitted Tuesday that while he is recovered enough to live comfortably, his knee isn't able to handle the demands of a full NHL season, per Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette:

Honestly, on a day-to-day basis it feels really good. I come here towards the start of training camp and I feel like I can still go out there and wreak havoc. Honestly, on a day-to-day basis I feel really good. But when I do certain things on a consistent basis it's a very solid reminder that my knee's not in a position to take the brunt of a full season's workload. I still get a tremendous amount of swelling in it. For short periods of time I can do things that are strenuous.

The honest thing is right now, it's just not going to happen to take the stress of the goaltending position — it's not where it needs to be. So for now I'm just going to continue to try and rehab my knee to a position where it's fit for life in general.

Price is under contract with the Canadiens for three more seasons at $10.5 million per year. He'll likely spend the remainder of the deal on long-term injured reserve.

The Canadiens selected Price with the fifth overall pick in the 2005 draft. He was once considered one of the best goaltenders in the NHL, winning the Vezina and Hart trophies in 2014-15 after posting a 44-16-6 record, 1.96 goals-against average and .933 save percentage in 66 starts.

Price is one of two goaltenders since 2000 to win the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player, joining former Canadiens netminder José Théodore, who won it in 2001-02.

Price, who has spent his entire career with the Canadiens, has established franchise records in games played (712) and wins (361). He has posted a 361-261-79 record with 49 shutouts, a 2.51 goals-against average and .917 save percentage in 15 seasons.

The Canadiens will enter the 2023-24 season Jake Allen, Casey DeSmith and Sam Montembeault as the goaltenders on the roster.

A first-round loss to the eventual Stanley Cup champions Vegas Golden Knights has the Winnipeg Jets looking at a roster overhaul, including a trade of center Pierre-Luc Dubois.

The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta reported the team and Dubois' agent are working to facilitate a trade.

One team with interest is the Montreal Canadiens, who have had prior conversations about acquiring Dubois, per Scott Billeck of The Winnipeg Sun.

"Let's get the obvious out of the way. It's no secret that the Jets and Habs have spoken about Dubois. You'd imagine if there was a trade that could have been made by now, it would have. But that's not to say the Habs won't budge in the end," Bellick wrote.

While other teams will make calls to Winnipeg's front office regarding a potential deal for Dubois, it is Montreal who would most benefit.

The Canadiens ranked 28th in total offense in 2022-23, with just 227 and a -516 goal differential. They were not good, failing to keep up with the opposition en route to a second-to-last finish in the Eastern Conference.

Acquiring a quality center like the 24-year-old Dubois and pairing him with Nick Suzuki, who accounted for 66 points and the highest shooting percentage of his career (16) would provide the team with a spark in the middle.

Dubois amassed a career highs in assists (36) and points (63). He added another high in face-off percentage with 48.89. Considering the Canadiens ranked 25th overall in face-offs won, the center would be an instant upgrade there, too.

Dubois is by no means an instant fix, nor is he a superstar center at this point. What he is, though, is a player with upside that can help improve a Montreal squad that is in need of pieces in several spots.

In order to keep up in the east with the dynamic, explosive offenses in Boston, Toronto and Tampa Bay, they need to accumulate fast, young competitors who can manipulate the puck around the ice and put it in the net.

Dubois can do both of those things and contribute to a team that is just two years removed from the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Montreal Canadiens announced Monday they agreed to an eight-year extension with Cole Caufield that will average $7.85 million per season.

TVA Sports' Renaud Lavoie reported the contract includes a no-trade clause:

Caufield was due to be a restricted free agent this offseason. Sportsnet's Luke Fox ranked him as the fourth-best RFA on the board in May.

The 22-year-old made 46 appearances for Montreal in 2022-23, finishing with 26 goals and 10 assists. His 36 points were third-highest on the team.

His campaign ended abruptly in January after he underwent shoulder surgery.

Caufield's impending free agency was one subplot surrounding the Canadiens all year.

"I mean, you try not to (listen), but you really can't get away from it," he told reporters in January. "It's everywhere, you hear it a lot, but for me, it's just about trying to stay away from it. It's going to happen when it happens."

Caufield also attempted to allay any fears over his long-term status in Montreal.

"I love being here. I love this team and this group of guys," he said. "So I just take it one step at a time. But for sure it's in the back of my mind."

The massive extension reflects how Caufield's shoulder surgery did little to dent his overall value. His salary will make him the second-highest-paid forward on the team behind Nick Suzuki ($7.875 million).

Caufield finished ninth in the Calder Trophy voting in 2021-22 after totaling 43 points, and he was on pace to smash that output before his shoulder injury.

Between him and Suzuki, the future of the Canadiens' forward line is bright.