from Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette,

Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin hasn’t had time to catch his breath.

Last week, Bergevin combined preparations for the National Hockey League draft with a series of continuing negotiations and there’s more discussion on the agenda heading into the opening of the free-agent market at noon Tuesday.

Bergevin has had conversations with the agents for a number of unrestricted free agents, but his immediate concern is the team’s own UFAs. Captain Brian Gionta and defencemen Francis Bouillon and Mike Weaver are in a position to test the free-agent market, and while Bergevin said he hasn’t closed the door on any member of the trio it doesn’t appear any of them will sign before the deadline.

Weaver’s agent has already said he will pursue other avenues after a lukewarm response from the Canadiens.

Gionta wants to stay in Montreal, but he could probably get more money and a longer term elsewhere. Bergevin still has to sign restricted free agent Lars Eller, but the GM has 11 forwards under contract and the list of candidates to join Tomas Plekanec and Alex Galchenyuk on the No. 2 line include the Rene Bourque we saw in the playoffs, Daniel Brière, Dale Weise and Michael Bournival.

There are continuing talks with agent Don Meehan over a new deal for defenceman P.K. Subban.

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