from Brendan Kelly of the Montreal Gazette,

The other thing Bergevin should do starting Monday is look long and hard at that mouth-watering list of restricted free agents, a who’s-who hit parade that includes Mitch Marner, Brayden Point, and Sebastian Aho. Why not go for the grand slam and take a run at Marner?

Make an offer sheet of seven seasons at $10 million or $11 million per year and either you get one of the best young players in the league or baby-faced Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas has to grit his teeth and match the Habs’ offer — which would muck up archrival Toronto’s plans.

If I were a gambler, I’d wager that they don’t get Duchene or any other top free agents. And like most observers, I think it’s written in the stars that Duchene — despite the idle chatter about how he grew up a Habs fan — will end up in Nashville. I’m even more sure that Bergevin will not wade into the restricted-free-agent waters because his boss doesn’t want to get in a public scrap with any of his partners in the profitable little business called the National Hockey League.

more on what the Habs should do starting on Monday...