Here is the list of eight players who could realistically sign with the CH this summer

With all the excitement surrounding the draft at the Bell Centre on July 7, we tend to forget that the free agent market will begin less than a week later.

For Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton, it will be their first direct contact with this market which is quite full this year with Kristopher Letang, Johnny Gaudreau and Filip Forsberg.

However, the Habs' new management has tempered expectations about the team's chances of signing a star player due to the fact that the Habs are strapped with the salary cap.

If we can forget about the big names available this year, a few affordable free agents could still be of interest to the Habs. TVA Sports found eight players that Kent Hughes could bring to Montreal this summer.

Among the names suggested are forwards Andreas Athanasiou, Mason Marchment, Evan Rodrigues and Vincent Trocheck.

The latter's name has already been linked to the Canadiens, but he will most likely command a salary too high for the Habs, but as for the other three, they could prove to be excellent signings.

On defense, we have Nikita Zadorov, Nick Leddy and a certain P.K. Subban.

Of course, a return of Subban to Montreal would make many Canadiens fans happy, but we should not expect a performance worthy of an all-star defenseman, like during his great years with the Canadiens.

Zadorov and Leddy could also be good picks for Kent Hughes as they are two experienced backs who would be excellent mentors for the organization's young defensemen.

Finally, there is a certain Marc-Andre Fleury as a goalie. In his case, everything will depend on the health of Carey Price. If number 31 is not able to start next season, Fleury would be an excellent option.

Obviously, not all of these free agents will sign with the Habs, but the arrival of one or two veterans could be a good thing for a team that is said to be rebuilding.