Montreal Canadiens: The 4 Worst Contracts on Their Current Roster

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One of the priorities for new Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin in his first year on the job will be to not sign any insane contracts, and maybe even move some of the bad contracts the team is already paying.

Bergevin has the unenviable task of building a winning roster in Montreal, which will be difficult since his predecessors, Bob Gainey and Pierre Gauthier, made some horrible trades and free-agent decisions.

Let's look at the four worst contracts on the Montreal roster.

 

Note: All salary information courtesy of Capgeek.com

Tomas Kaberle, Defenseman

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Contract Details

Years Left: 2

Salary Cap Hit: $4.25 million

Total Salary Left: $8.75 million

 

Tomas Kaberle doesn't have an awful contract, but it's certainly not one of the better ones on the Canadiens roster.

He is a good offensive defenseman, but his ability to excel in his own end isn't good enough for a team that expects to compete for a playoff spot this season.

After having 49 points in the 2010-11 season, then 31 last year, another decline in offensive production will be a big problem for Montreal.

Andrei Markov, Defenseman

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Contract Details

Years Left: 2

Salary Cap Hit: $5.75 million

Total Salary Left: $11.5 million

 

Andrei Markov is a good player, and one of the better point-producing defensemen in the NHL, but he has struggled to stay healthy in recent seasons.

Over the last three years, Markov has played a total of just 65 games. At 33 years of age, it may be difficult for Markov to play a full season again after dealing with multiple injuries.

Markov's current deal is not an abysmal one for the Canadiens since he's a good player, but his cap hit is a large one for a player who cannot remain healthy enough to be on the ice consistently.

Brian Gionta, Forward

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Contract Details

Years Left: 2

Salary Cap Hit: $5 million

Total Salary Left: $10 million

 

Since the 2008-09 season, Brian Gionta's point totals have either gotten worse or remained the same.

Injuries forced Gionta to play in just 31 games last year, and he racked up 15 points in that time. If he played at that pace for the entire year, he would have finished the season with about 39 points. He scored 46 points the year before.

To Gionta's credit, he does bring great leadership to the team as captain, but his offensive production is a concern heading into the second-to-last year on his deal.

For someone who isn't the same offensive player he once was and has also battled injuries, Gionta's $5 million salary cap hit and salary is one of the worst contracts on the Canadiens roster.

Scott Gomez, Forward

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Contract Details

Years Left: 2

Salary Cap Hit: $7.35 million

Total Salary Left: $10 million

 

Scott Gomez has not been bought out by the Montreal Canadiens this summer, which is a bit surprising.

Although, buying out a contract like his would be an expensive move, even for a wealthy franchise such as Montreal.

Injuries forced Gomez to play in just 31 games last season, and he scored 11 points in that time.

If he is healthy for a full season, there's a chance he could be a productive third-line player for the Canadiens.

However, having a guy play on the third line and having a cap hit of about $7.35 million is pretty much as bad as it gets.