Montreal Canadiens expected to be aggressive in offseason

Eight NCAA free agents to watch

Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News: Eight pending NCAA free agents that NHL teams will be keeping an eye on.

Gleb Veremyev – LW – 21 – Colorado College (NCHC) – A big winger who throws his body around. The numbers aren’t as good as last season.

Dalton Bancroft – RW – 24 – Cornell (ECAC) – Power forward whose numbers have dipped as well. Son of ex-NHL Steve Bancroft.

Karsen Dorwart – C – 22 – Michigan State (Big Ten) – Two-way center. Could be a bottom-six NHL center. Skating and pace are issues.

Josh Eernisse – RW – 23 – Michigan (Big Ten) – Big, strong winger who kills penalties. Could be a fourth-line winger.

Harrison Scott – LW – 24 – Maine (HE) – He’s an Energy guy who can score.

Jack Williams – C – 23 – Northeastern (HE) – Undersized but competes.

Caleb MacDonald – D – 22 – North Dakota (NCHC) – Big defenseman who blocks shots and plays tough. It’s a weak defenseman class.

Liam McLinskey – RW – 24 – Holy Cross (AHA) – 6′ 3″ and 185 lbs. Always around the net.

The Montreal Canadiens will be aggressive this offseason

Marco D’Amico of RG.org: It was a buyers’ market at the trade deadline, and Montreal Canadiens didn’t want to pay the high price to add anyone. A source asked why would you waste assets for a push to maybe just sneak into the playoffs to face the best team in the East and possibly get swept.

They will continue to push, a play that will gain them valuable experience.

The Canadiens were looking for help down the middle, but so was half the league. A source:

“Almost every single potential playoff team in the NHL was looking for help down the middle, and there were very few options available. You saw the prices paid for Nelson, Laughton, and the other centers to go shortly before the deadline? Those are very steep prices because there’s a higher sense of desperation during this time of the year.”

The source added that this offseason, he expects the Canadiens to be aggressive with their draft picks and prospects. They’ll be looking for an age-appropriate center.