Kaberle Set Free by Canadiens

Marc Bergevin loosened the proverbial belt of the Montreal Canadiens by a couple of notches this morning.

With word spreading that Tomas Kaberle will now officially be bought out, the speculation of months, if not a year+, has finally come to an end as the Habs use their second compliance buyout on the former All Star.

While there was rampant speculation through the fan base that other players on the Habs bench were going to be bought out, with a cap hit of $4.25M and a final year's salary of $4.5M, Kaberle was always the prime target.

Having skated a mere 10 games, accruing but 3 assists, the writing was on the wall for the professional and consummate teammate.

Like Scott Gomez before him, Kaberle was the victim of the new CBA. Un-sad as that may be, the buyouts were gifts for newcomer, Marc Bergevin, and he has used them wisely, dispensing with unnecessary dead-weight.

Opening up cap space to a touch over $9 million for the Montreal Canadiens, the buyout is precisely in line with what Bergevin shared with fans. He is going to be prudent, use the tools available and make choices that are best for the team in the near-to-long-term.

Every move he makes is done for a reason and while you might wonder why oh why Bergevin inked Davis Drewiske for 2 years at a measly $637k a year, it's because only Josh Gorges is signed beyond next year. It doesn't hurt to lock away a young depth player on the cheap. It's not always about the top-end, a great GM takes care of the middle and oft-forgotten bottom end of the roster as well.

Looking forward, the work Montreal's new GM has in front of him isn't solely based on next season, but more importantly the 2 following that.

With a new crop of players beginning to emerge for the Canadiens, with a level of talent that hasn't been seen in quite a long time around these parts, Montreal will need to address how it balances out a blue line in need of filling 5 of 6 spots. Interestingly enough, Bergevin really can't jump the gun too much as it still remains unknown how much the salary cap will go back up following the 2013-14 campaign?

With $28+ million available in the summer of 2014 (not counting how any additions this summer will effect that), the Canadiens are likely to have a whole lot more cash available. So how does Bergevin proceed?

Likely with a cautious attitude towards the free agent market this summer, I'd say. Trades, though, are an entirely different matter.

This is where I think the Canadiens management staff has been hard at work for over a year.

Opening up the cash consumed by Kaberle is a no-brainer, and you have to realize that it signals Montreal's ability to take on a salaried player, just as much as it signals they can sign a potential free agent.

Casting an eye to other players being bought out, you have to wonder if that isn't a tact Bergevin and company might pursue. Don't forget that the Habs grabbed Colby Armstrong for $1 million as the Leafs paid the rest of his bought out salary. Having a double salary can make it awfully easy for a player to say yes to staying in the NHL at a reduced rate.

The door is open for suggestions. Which way do you think Bergevin will go in terms of how to use the space opened up by the freshly bought out Kaberle?

One thing is certain, the GM knows what he is doing and opening up the team's available cap space from $4.5M to over $9M right before the draft, well that's just a logical move you would expect to see from a guy who has a plan and is following it.

It's good news for the Canadiens. Now we wait to find out if the news gets better...



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