Freelance players: time is playing in Marc Bergevin’s favor

The unrestricted NHL free agent market was scheduled to open tomorrow, July 1. However, the pandemic has turned everything upside down and it is somewhere in October that many buyers will try to hit a homerun or find the best deals. Overview of the situation.

Marc Bergevin will not have to rent a helicopter right away for a tour of the city with a potential candidate because the players cannot exercise their autonomy as long as the league has not made a cross on the this season.

• Read also: Defender Alex Pietrangelo most coveted among free agents

This will allow him to further analyze the main candidates because most of them will wear skates over the next few months.

Bergevin has always been an active participant, even if he has to contend with several elements that do not always allow him to compete with other general managers.

Attracting a leading unrestricted free agent to Montreal is practically science fiction.

Players like Montreal, because it is a pretty city with many special features. They will allow themselves to be wooed and have in their pocket a fabulous offer of contract from the Canadian … and then take another direction.

They will therefore create an escalation and the prices will take exaggerated proportions.

Bergevin has a financial cushion envied by his peers in the NHL. Except that the market does not respond so much to what the CEO of the Canadian is looking for. There are few interesting candidates, especially if he is looking to improve his attack. Taylor Hall and Tyler Tiffoli are candidates capable of adding luster to the team.

The Lafrenière case

But here comes the Alexis Lafrenière case, a chance in eight for the Canadian to make his acquisition, if of course he bows to the Penguins in their series 3 of 5. This is a percentage significantly higher than the possibility of welcome an unrestricted free agent in Montreal. There is something to ask questions.

Following the stupid decision of the NHL to tarnish the draft of amateur players before the start of the round robin, everything is in question. Forget unrestricted free agents. Lafrenière is considered a concession player. This is the gift we are going to offer to the eliminated teams for their participation, an opportunity to obtain the best 18-year-old skater on the planet. Ottawa, Detroit, Los Angeles, New Jersey, go show yourself.

You can believe that many scenarios are running through the heads of the decision makers of the teams eligible for the Lafrenière lottery. The National League has shot itself in the foot.

In the meantime, it will be interesting to observe Bergevin’s strategy in the files already on his work table, i.e. Brendan Gallagher, Phillip Danault, Tomas Tatar, Joel Armia, Artturi Lehkonen, Jeff Petry, des players who will be able to claim their unrestricted free agent status at the end of the season (2020-2021).

What price for Torey Krug?

Is there an emergency among defenders? With the arrival of Alexander Romanov, we think we have solidified the left flank of the defensive brigade, but we still have to wait to see if the Russian can adapt quickly to the tempo and life in the NHL.

Could Torey Krug help the Canadian? Obviously. But will he leave the Bruins? That’s the question … and what will be the price charged?

Bergevin will also have to keep an eye on the contracts of Max Domi, Victor Mete, Dale Weise, Charles Hudon, Christian Folin, Jake Evans and Xavier Ouellet.

Another boost?