Rumour: Habs zero in on Kotkaniemi’s true remplacement on free agent market

Saturday was busy day for Montreal Canadiens’ Marc Bergevin. After he announced that the Habs walking away from the player they drafted third overall in 2018 and taking the Carolina Hurricanes’ first- and third-round picks in the 2022 Draft for doing so, the GM acquired Christian Dvorak from the Arizona Coyotes. 

While that’s a great addition for the Canadiens after losing Kotkaniemi to a massive pay check in Raleigh, some point out that Dvorak is set to come in as Phillip Danault’s replacement, he would sign with the Los Angeles Kings during free agency. 

This means someone else should be brought it to take over Kotkaniemi’s role and the name of Tyler Bozak has come up. As Luke Fox of Sportsnet points out that of all the unrestricted free agents unclaimed by September, none averaged more points per game in 2021 than Bozak. 

He would have to accept a significant pay cut from his 2020-21 salary of $5 million, but could be convinced by the Habs to continue killing penalties and winning face-offs in Montreal. Why not trying to signing him to a professional tryout contrat (PTO)? 

The St. Louis Blues might try to keep him in a fold, though he might look for a change of scenery and could find exactly what he is looking for with the Canadiens, who made it all the way to the Stanley Cup finals this summer.