On the Montreal Canadiens …
Arpon Basu: When asked if having more teams interested in signing him would tempt him to test free agency on July 1st, Alexander Radulov responded with:
“Things are going to be good if we’re going to decide whatever’s good for me and for the team here, so I don’t think you have to wait for 1st of July. You can just take that offer. Because if it’s everything good, why would you go and look for something better. There’s no point.”
John Lu: Radulov said that his first choice is to remain with the Canadiens.
Amanda Stein: Andrei Markov said he’d like to have a new contract before July 1st: “I have a wedding July 7th!”
Eric Engels: On if he wants to stay in Montreal long-term, Alex Galchenyuk: “Our season just ended a couple of days ago, I honestly didn’t give it too much of a thought.”
Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette: The Canadiens would love to have Galchenyuk play center, but coach Claude Julien doesn’t think he’s at that stage yet. Galchenyuk will start next on the wing and will have to work and show that he belongs at center.
Galchenyuk is also a RFA and it’s doubtful he’d get a long-term deal from the Canadiens.
GM Bergevin has said he’s looking for help at center.
Any contract extensions for Radulov or Markov would likely come after the expansion draft.
Bergevin added.
“We’re not going to blow up this team because we’re very disappointed in the way the season ended. We didn’t finish first in our division by accident. We’ll be patient.”
Chris Nichols of FanRag Sports: Darren Dreger was on TSN 1050 talking about the Montreal Canadiens and if they need to make some major changes.
“Well, they absolutely have to make significant changes,” began Dreger. “Marc Bergevin did some wheeling and dealing, but he didn’t address his primary area of concern and that’s offense – finding players to generate some goals. He added some beef near the deadline. He bolstered his blueline with depth type of guys, but he didn’t do anything significant.
“Now, you could argue that some of his bigger moves had already been made, and perhaps none bigger than P.K. Subban for Shea Weber. But he has a mountain of work to do, and perhaps priority No. 1 –not perhaps, priority No. 1 – is extending Carey Price this summer. And that lingers.”