'It would be surprising to see the Habs in the running for Sam Bennett.'

In fact, according to Basu, the Canadiens would need to consider that their prospect window is wide open before considering entering the race to sign a high-priced free agent. And when you consider that Bennett is likely to be highly coveted this summer, it’s logical to assume that he’ll probably become too expensive for the Habs.

By the same logic, Basu doesn’t see a guy like Aaron Ekblad coming to town… and that includes guys like Mitch Marner and John Tavares.

In fact, the Habs’ big acquisitions will probably be made via the trade market, believes the journalist. And here again, the same names keep cropping up: Sidney Crosby, Bo Horvat, Pavel Zacha, and so on.

But that doesn’t mean the Canadiens will be completely inactive on July 1: they could take advantage of the day to acquire some quality depth. A right-handed defenseman to replace David Savard, for example, would be a great addition that doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.

Basu raises the name of Nick Perbix, who is a particularly interesting one.

What’s clear, though, is that we shouldn’t expect to see the Canadiens trying to hit a home run on July 1. The club is not yet in a position to do so, and will probably prefer to try and hit a few home runs instead.

The home run, if it comes, will be via a trade… unless the Habs find a way to lure a free agent who isn’t getting what he wants on the open market. But with the salary cap about to skyrocket…

Overtime

– Very cool.

– That’s a lot of people.

– Craig Berube doesn’t want to separate Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.

– I love seeing this.

– Nice read.