Busy start to the month

MONTREAL - If you're just getting back into your routine after the long weekend, you may have missed some of the action that started with the opening of the free agency market on July 1. Here's a recap of what went down.

Just a few minutes into free agency on Saturday, Marc Bergevin brought aboard one of the most coveted defensemen available on the market, inking former Capitals blue-liner Karl Alzner to a five-year agreement with the Habs.

In a span of just over an hour, the Canadiens then added a bunch of depth to the roster by offering two-year, two-way contracts to centers Peter Holland and Byron Froese, and defenseman Matt Taormina. Holland split last season between the Maple Leafs and the Coyotes, while Froese and Taormina spent most of the campaign with the Lightning's minor-league squad in Syracuse.
Later on Saturday, 24-year-old defenseman Joe Morrow joined the fold in Montreal. Morrow, who played 17 games for the Bruins in 2016-17, signed a one-year deal with the Canadiens.

The biggest news of the weekend came on Sunday, when Bergevin announced an eight-year contract extension for Carey Price. With another season remaining on his current agreement, the 29-year-old puckstopper is now locked in with the Habs through the 2025-26 season.

The weekend also marked the departure of two players to Dallas, with both Brian Flynn and Alexander Radulov signing contracts with the Stars. Meanwhile, the Habs plucked a forward of their own from Dallas, signing former Star Ales Hemsky to a one-year contract on Monday.