Pagnotta ties Canadiens cap space to Kucherov, Zacha

David Pagnotta just pointed to Nikita Kucherov and Pavel Zacha as names that could shape the Montreal Canadiens' July 1 plans.

Both players are on contracts that expire after this season, and both are listed to hit unrestricted free agency. Kucherov's name has been floating around Montreal all week, but Zacha is a new one in the conversation.

Pagnotta noted that the Habs have somewhere north of $29 million in cap space, and he wondered out loud how some of that money gets allocated, with Kucherov part of that question.

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Kucherov isn't coasting toward the finish line of his deal. He has 20 points in 15 games for the Lightning, including 16 assists, and he's been part of Pierre LeBrun's Kucherov trade chatter for days.

Zacha is a different kind of target. The Bruins center has 12 points in 16 games, and he scored twice in Thursday's 6-2 win in Pittsburgh. Boston is 12-4-1 and first in the Atlantic, so he isn't playing for a team looking to sell.

Why Zacha is the safer fit for Montreal

The Canadiens are 10-3-3 and sit second in the Atlantic, one spot behind Boston. They beat Utah 5-4 in overtime on Thursday and visit Toronto on Saturday, so this is a contender-in-waiting adding pieces, not a team starting over.

That matters for how both names land. Kucherov is 33, and the interest runs through Martin St-Louis and the Kucherov relationship, which LeBrun said cannot be ignored.

Zacha is 29, stands 6'4 and has 721 NHL games behind him. Spending big on a center in his prime is easier to defend than building a summer around a star on the back half of his career.

Kucherov is the bigger swing, and the one that moves the needle. But Zacha is the more realistic fit, and the Canadiens have the room to chase both if they want.

Nothing is decided, and neither player is available until the contracts run out. The next marker is Boston hosting Florida on Sunday, with the Lightning and the Bruins both still in the thick of the season.

Quick hits

BUFFALO SABRES: Josh Norris scored twice as the Sabres beat Columbus 5-2 at home tonight. Buffalo got the win it wanted, and Norris led the way.

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COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS: Zachary Werenski scored again, but the Blue Jackets dropped a 5-2 road game in Buffalo that got away from them.

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MILESTONE: The Anaheim Ducks confirmed that Leo Carlsson has reached 100 NHL assists, and he got there tonight in Calgary. A nice mark for a young playmaker.

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CALGARY FLAMES: The Flames announced that Kevin Bahl is out with a lower body injury and won't play tonight against the Ducks. That's a hit to the blue line.

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TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS: John Tavares faces the Canadiens on Saturday, and tonight he went out of his way to praise Habs legend Carey Price. A rare compliment for a rival.

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