Canadiens GM hints at younger team in 2021-22
Habs go over cap US$81.5-million cap with Toffoli signing
MONTREAL - Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin says it’s going to be easy to get under the NHL salary cap for the beginning of the season.
Next season will be a different matter.
Bergevin went over the US$81.5-million cap on Monday when he signed Tyler Toffoli to a four-year deal worth $17 million with an annual cap hit of $4.25 million. That left the Canadiens $353,809 over the cap, but the problem can be resolved with a little tinkering here and there.
However, the Canadiens face a major challenge next year. With the current roster, the Canadiens will have about $29 million in cap space — we’re throwing in the $4.35 million they won’t be paying backup goaltender Jake Allen — but they will have to divide that among eight or nine players.
Montreal has only five NHL forwards under contract for the 2021-22 season. Tomas Tatar, Phil Danault, Brendan Gallagher, Joel Armia and Jordan Weal are all eligible to become unrestricted free agents, while Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Artturi Lehkonen could be restricted free agents.
There were a couple of hints Tuesday that Bergevin’s negotiating skills will be put to the test.
“It’s certain the pandemic affected what happened with the market,” Bergevin said during a video conference call. “In one way, players got paid less, but there’s a salary cap dictating that. … If a player wants to play with the Montreal Canadiens, then he has to adapt to our cap situation, too. We want to pay everyone, but we also want to have a good team on the ice. To bring in the players we did, it cost some money and that will eventually affect other players at other positions.”
It’s probably not a coincidence that Bergevin’s statement came hard on the heels of a report that negotiations with Gallagher over a contract extension have stalled. Bergevin had said extending Gallagher was a priority.
And while Bergevin has assembled what appears to be a competitive, if not contending team, he noted that there might be major changes with an influx of younger players for the 2021-22 season.
“We have to because of the cap situation going forward,” Bergevin said. “Young players will have to be on the team and I believe that across the league, you’ll see more young players.”
While Toffoli took a slight pay cut — his salary-cap hit last season was $4.6 million — he said that he was interested in term after a string of twoand three-year deals.
Toffoli said several teams showed interest in him, but he liked what he saw in Montreal.
“My decision came down to Montreal, knowing the fan base and how passionate they are,” Toffoli said during a video conference call Tuesday. “You do look at the players and what they’ve done in the off-season already, who they’ve added to what I think was already a good team and it’d be an exciting time to be a Canadien.”
Toffoli will be in the top nine, but his exact role will be determined at training camp. He has been a right-winger for most of his career, but he told the Canadiens he would be agreeable to playing on the left side if that would help the team win. As for a choice of centre, he said he would “fit in great” with any of the three top centres — Danault, Kotkaniemi or Nick Suzuki.
Toffoli twice led the OHL in goal-scoring with the Ottawa 67s and he has one 31goal season in the NHL, but he described himself as a twoway forward. His commitment to defence began with the L.A. Kings, who were coached by taskmaster Darryl Sutter.
“Coming to L.A., if you didn’t play the right way, you weren’t going to play at all,” Toffoli said.