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Would Frolik Be a Fit With the Habs?

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Would Frolik Be a Fit With the Habs?
(Marianne Helm/Getty Images)

by Michael Ham-Fan, Staff Writer, All Habs Hockey Magazine

(Marianne Helm/Getty Images)
(Marianne Helm/Getty Images)

MONTREAL, QC. — The NHL free agent frenzy is hours away and the Montreal Canadiens’ front office has been very quiet as it usually is ever since Marc Bergevin took over the reins. His main philosophy has been building from the inside through the draft and the Habs’ prospect pool is getting very solid.

Although the organization isn’t too fond of signing free agents, there are a few urgent gaps in the lineup that needs to be filled. Mainly, with the buyout of P.A. Parenteau, the second line right wing spot is up for grabs. Currently with the team, the right wingers are Brendan Gallagher, Dale Weise and Devante Smith-Pelly. There is obviously space for improvement and a forward must be added before the start of the season, in my opinion.

There are a few options for filling up that space. If we look from within, Sven Andrighetto would be the best top-6 option the Habs have in their system. With that said, I don’t think that Andrighetto is ready for that big of a jump just yet. So that leaves two options : trading block or free agency.

There is one particular right wing on the free agent market that I personally would target: Michael Frolik. A former first round pick, 10th overall, Frolik has played his last two seasons with the Winnipeg Jets, putting up 42 points in each one of them.

The Kladno-native is listed at 6-foot-1, 200 lbs. and is known for a sound two-way game. He has put up 40 points or more in four of the seven seasons he has spent in the NHL, with the Florida Panthers, the Chicago Blackhawks and the Winnipeg Jets. Curiously, he has only struggled as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks, failing to maintain his scoring pace with the powerhouse team. Also, last season with the Jets, Frolik has averaged 1:35 minute per game on the penalty kill and has scored three goals in those situations.

I would picture him on a second-line role with his fellow Czech teammate Tomas Plekanec. He definitely fits the style that the Canadiens are trying to play and would be a valuable addition to the Habs forward depth.

He even expressed interest in joining the Habs as reported by TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie :

The only problem in acquiring him is figuring out how to fit him within the cap. Frolik is rumoured to be asking for around $5 million a year, which is an understandable price for a 27-year-old. This is his one best chance to get a big contract.

If the Canadiens successfully sign Michael Frolik, they will have to look at a potential salary dump, with the club still negotiating with restricted free-agent Alex Galchenyuk.

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Lien vers mes articles en français : http://fr.allhabs.net/author/mhamfan/ -------------------Michael is a Staff Writer for All Habs Magazine. He completed a bachelor's degree in Psychology at the Université de Montréal and is now doing his Masters' degree at the Université de Sherbrooke in Clinical Sciences. Michael has been a hockey fan and a Habs fans pretty much all his life, so for the last two decades and a half. He was born in Montreal to a Chinese mother and a Honduran-Chinese father, so he is fluent in French, English and Cantonese. He understands Spanish and Mandarin but not enough to speak it. His objective in writing is to give information and to give his opinion. At no point will he try to act as an expert on the subject. Michael is humbled to be able to write on hockey and that has always been a dream for him. He attends a lot of hockey games and practices during the year (Habs, Juniors etc.) and when he is not at the game, he is watching them at home, so he will base his opinion a lot on what he has actually seen rather than what he has heard. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Michael est un chroniqueur pour Le Magazine All Habs. Il a complété un baccalauréat spécialisé en Psychologie à l'Université de Montréal et il est maintenant, à sa première année en maîtrise en Sciences Cliniques à l'Université de Sherbrooke. Michael a été un amateur de hockey et un partisan des Canadiens depuis les vingt-cinq dernières années. Il parle quotidiennement en français, en anglais et en cantonais. Il comprend aussi l'espagnol et le mandarin sans être très fluide. Michael a appris que la modestie et le respect étaient deux valeurs nécessaires dans la vie. Son approche pour écrire des articles est de donner son opinion basée sur de l'information concrète. Son but n'est surtout pas de se prendre pour un expert. Il assiste très souvent à des matchs de hockey (Canadiens, Juniors, etc.) et lorsqu'il n'est pas dans les estrades, il les regarde chez lui. Donc, son opinion sera basée sur ce qu'il aura vu, plus que ce qu'il aurait entendu. Donc, ses articles ne seront jamais écrits sous le point de vue d'un expert, mais bien celui d'un amateur qui veut susciter la discussion avec ses pairs.