The Montreal Canadiens have been pinching their pennies recently. They have not spent anywhere near the salary cap in the past two seasons. There are a number of high profile players about to hit the open market on July 1, but the Habs would be wise to avoid the biggest price tags.
Spending in free agency usually ends up with regret. The biggest free agents are good players, but can demand a huge price tag when they get into a bidding war. They also end up with long term deals that run way past their prime years.
As such, the Canadiens should avoid the big names like Matt Duchene and Jake Gardiner.