Canadiens Rumors: Sights Set on 2 Big Free Agents This Summer

The Montreal Canadiens aren’t going to take this offseason lightly as they have a young and upcoming team with much more cap space to work with. Roster spots need filling and they will very likely look to free agency to bring in a couple of the better players this summer to not only help them come out of their rebuild, but stay with them after. The free agent class this year isn’t great, but not a lot of teams also have a ton of money to spend like the Canadiens. Here’s a look at two players the team is rumored to target.

Alex Killorn

The forward group is going to need some upgrading. The prospects and youngsters showed the Canadiens that they should have trust in their future, but they also need experience and leaders. Alex Killorn will become a free agent this summer and has been to the finals many times with the Tampa Bay Lightning, even beating the Canadiens not so long ago.

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There is no chance the Lightning are able to re-sign Killorn with many of their top players starting extensions already. JC Lajoie stated that the veteran would be the type of player that would appeal to the Canadiens this summer and though Killorn isn’t from Montreal, he grew up fairly close to there in Nova Scotia. It may not be the best move to have Brendan Gallagher playing in the top-six even if he does remain healthy, so Killorn would fit in perfectly for the Canadiens to give added scoring.

Damon Severson

One of the most pressing matters of the offseason for the Canadiens is to address the right side of their defence. Most of their young talented defencemen play on the left side, and though they can move over, it is better for them to play their strong side. Right defence are harder to come by, and though there are a few options, Damon Severson appears to be the most reliable and player who would help out the most.

Marc Dupont reported that Severson would be a good fit for the Canadiens, but he might prefer not to play in the Montreal market. That’s just a hunch, but Severson’s two-way play and proven ability to be an impactful top-four defender when given the chance makes him a prime target for Montreal. Seeing how Dougie Hamilton and John Marino are ahead of him in New Jersey, there’s no chance he sticks around. Being on the third pair behind those two very good right-shot defenders is also a big reason for his lack of offence. With a new team and better opportunity, he will be able to return to his 2021-22 form.