We've reached the end of June which means one thing - the National Hockey League's free agency window opens up tomorrow, July 1st, at 12 pm ET/9 am PT.
As has been the case in recent years, we haven't seen a ton of premier talent hitting the open market on Canada Day. Unless they re-sign with their current club, among the top names available starting on Wednesday include Rasmus Andersson, two-time Stanley Cup-winning netminder Sergei Bobrovsky and John Carlson.
While the Montreal Canadiens might not be in the mix for any top players this year, General Manager Kent Hughes will certainly be on the look out for some depth in his lineup, particularly at the forward position following the departures of Brendan Gallagher and Joe Veleno.
Depth Free Agent Targets for the Montreal Canadiens
Heading into tomorrow, the Canadiens have $14.23 million to work with, according to PuckPedia, but also have eight restricted free agents they need to sign including Zachary Bolduc, Kirby Dach and Arber Xhekaj. Kent Hughes should have some money to work with to bring in more depth for his group. Here are three potential UFA targets for Hughes and the Canadiens to consider.
Paul Cotter (26) - C/W
On Monday afternoon, the New Jersey Devils announced that they were not issuing qualifying offers to four of their ten restricted free agents prior to the 5 pm ET deadline and among them was 26-year-old forward Paul Cotter.
Cotter, a native of Canton, Michigan, is coming off his fourth full season in the National Hockey League and second as a member of the New Jersey Devils. It was a tough year for Cotter has not only did his production dip slightly, his average ice time dropped by close to two minutes and 30 seconds, going from 13:04 during the 2024-25 campaign to 10:40 in 2025-26.
It isn't entirely surprising that Cotter was not qualified by the Devils yesterday and now the former Stanley Cup champion will get a fresh start elsewhere. Montreal could be a fit for the ex-Vegas Golden Knight, who likely won't command a salary much higher than $1-$1.5 million.
In 79 games with the New Jersey Devils last season, Cotter registered 15 points (nine goals, six assists), 19 penalty minutes and was a minus-24.
Victor Olofsson (30) - LW/RW
For the fifth time in his NHL career and first since leaving the Buffalo Sabres, Swedish winger Victor Olofsson hit the 30-point mark while spending time with the Colorado Avalanche and Calgary Flames.
Olofsson, a native of Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, was signed by the Colorado Avalanche to a one-year deal last August and played quite well in the Mile High City, recording 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) in 60 games while primarily in a depth role. Ahead of the trade deadline on March 6th, the Avalanche dealt Olofsson to the Calgary Flames as part of the package for Nazem Kadri.
The 30-year-old finished the season with 31 points in 78 games between Colorado and Calgary and there's no question he'll draw plenty of interest when the market opens tomorrow for playoff hopefuls in need of more depth, like Montreal, where he could suit up in a fourth line role for Marty St. Louis. In terms of a contract, Olofsson is likely looking at another one-year deal with a similar average annual value (AAV) to what he signed for last summer - $1.575 million USD.
Jack Roslovic (29) - C/RW
The third and final depth target on my list is former Winnipeg Jets first round pick Jack Roslovic, who has bounced around the National Hockey League in recent years.
After an impressive 22-goal campaign with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2024-25, Roslovic became an unrestricted free agent on Canada Day last summer and was focused on landing a multi-year deal. The 29-year-old dug his heels in and despite interest in him from teams around the league on a one-year deal, Roslovic remained unsigned all summer into early-October.
One day after the NHL's 2025-26 campaign began, Roslovic gave up those hopes of a multi-year contract and signed a one-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers. Roslovic's decision to sign in Edmonton worked out well as he went on to record 20+ goals for a second consecutive season. Much like last summer, Roslovic is hoping that his success will land him a multi-year deal and it's safe to say that he'll finally get that.
While Montreal likely wouldn't target Jack Roslovic on a multi-year contract, if a similar situation plays out like last summer, perhaps Kent Hughes could swoop in at some point down the road and bring the Columbus, Ohio native onboard.
We'll have to wait and see what the Montreal Canadiens have in store for the opening day of free agency on Wednesday, but as mentioned, don't expect them to be in the mix for any of the top names. If Montreal is to make a big splash, it'll come via trade and one name to keep an eye on in the days and weeks ahead is Kirill Marchenko of the Columbus Blue Jackets.