The opening of free agency, as Bob Gainey once explained, is a day when a team goes out and adds skill.

For a Montreal Canadiens team that finished 26th in the NHL in 5-on-5 goals, and 23rd in goals of any kind, this would appear to be a good day to shop.

With a good amount of money to spend and a need for a large forward who can score, there's really no reason why Pierre Gauthier should sit and watch the parade go by this year as he did last year, when Alex Auld was his lone signing of the day.

The problem is, the store's shelves are not exactly stocked, and in a situation like this the prices become a bit ridiculous. It's kind of like shopping for flowers on your way to Mother's Day brunch.

Consider that Brooks Laich signed a 6-year, $27 million deal to stay with the Washington Capitals, and he probably left some money on the table in doing so seeing as just about half the league – if not more – would have been after him on Friday.

Some might say Brad Richards is the greatest beneficiary of the low supply of quality forwards available, but he would have gotten his money regardless.

I'd say it is the forwards behind him on the list – way behind him, as it were – who will benefit the most from the lack of competition.

And suddenly, with Laich off the market, it could very well be Erik Cole who slides into the second slot on that list and who could cash in big time come Friday.

It just so happens that Cole, of all the forwards available, is probably the player that best suits the Canadiens needs.

Which means they probably won't be able to sign him.

When Montreal fans talk about Cole, I can't help but feel the judgment of an entire city is clouded by the fact he's traditionally murdered the Canadiens. In 28 career games against Montreal, Cole has 14 goals and 11 assists, his highest point per game average against a single team.

But last season Cole, 32, managed just a goal and an assist in four games against the Canadiens, and he still managed to put up his best numbers since 2007 with 26 goals and 26 assists while playing in all 82 games.

He played significant minutes on the power play, but most of his production – 22 goals and 20 assists – came at even strength, where the Canadiens need the most help. Also, his play did not differ much based on his location, with 29 of his points coming at home and 23 on the road.

But most impressive was Cole's play when it mattered. He finished fourth in the NHL with 9 game winning goals, and over the final 11 games of the regular season as Carolina made a late push for a playoff spot Cole registered 7 goals and 2 assists – driving his team to an 8-2-1 record to close out the schedule three points short.

Finally, at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, Cole had the most hits among free agent forwards with 225 on the season.

His previous salary was $2.9 million, and one would have to assume Carolina GM Jim Rutherford offered Cole a considerable raise. Still, Rutherford was resigned to Cole hitting the free agent market in spite of making what he deemed a "substantial" offer. In that same article, however, he said the same thing about Chad LaRose. One day later, LaRose was re-signed to a two-year contract, so we'll see what happens with Cole.

Should he hit the market Friday numerous teams will be after him, including the Philadelphia Flyers, though they are not quite as flush as the Canadiens when it comes to available cap space. Still, it will take a significant offer, one verging on lunacy, to attract Cole to Montreal.

While Cole would provide an upgrade in a serious area of need for the Canadiens, there are other forwards available who would help add some grit to the club.

The most interesting among them is Zenon Konopka of the New York Islanders. Konopka, 30, went undrafted out of junior hockey and spent seven years in the minors – working his way through the ECHL and AHL – before finally landing a full-time NHL gig two seasons ago with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Konopka signed as a free agent with the Islanders last season and blossomed, leading the NHL in penalty minutes, finishing second to Anaheim's George Parros with 25 fighting majors while also filling a valuable role as a player. He was fourth in the NHL in faceoff percentage (57.7), was fourth among Islanders forwards for shorthanded time on ice per game (1:32), and second among his team's forwards in blocked shots.

It's a very interesting package, and Konopka did not hide the fact he would be interested in playing in Montreal when the Islanders visited one night after the infamous Feb. 9 brawlfest in Boston. Trouble for the Canadiens is, again, Konopka will likely have many suitors come Friday, giving him a chance to monetize his abilities to the maximum. Frankly, after persevering so long to make the NHL he deserves the opportunity to do so, but the question is whether or not Gauthier will recognize his unique skill set with a significant offer.

With Jeff Halpern sitting in limbo and Lars Eller's recovery from his shoulder surgery uncertain, Gauthier might also be in the market for a centre like Eric Belanger.

Belanger, 33, had to wait until Sept. 14 last year before signing a one-year contract with Phoenix for $750,000, a $1 million pay cut from his previous salary. He finished 18th in the NHL in faceoff percentage (55.3), played significant minutes on both special teams units and established a new career high with 40 points.

Considering all that, Belanger is likely seeking a long-term deal, but it may be worth a call to see if coming home to Quebec would persuade him otherwise.

Some other wingers I would consider signing Friday would be Michael Rupp of the Pittsburgh Penguins (31, 6-foot-5, 230, 181 hits, 12 fights) and Joel Ward of the Nashville Predators (30, 6-foot-1, 218, 7 goals, 6 assists in 12 playoff games), even though Ward's playoff performance will likely inflate his price tag much like it will for Tampa's Sean Bergenheim. At centre, if Max Talbot has not already reached a verbal agreement with the Toronto Maple Leafs, he would be worth a look as well.

Then there's Jaromir Jagr, who as of Wednesday night had left both the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings wondering what was going on with numerous reports of an offer by the Canadiens out there in spite of Gauthier's supposed lack of interest.

Having said all this, the possibility remains that Friday's cash grabs by the players and desperation on the part of the teams will make the whole thing an exercise in futility for Gauthier, a manager who has shown an unwillingness to deviate from his own plan based on external influences. He most surely has his own number in mind when it comes to the players he's targeted, and if market forces make those numbers obsolete, I can see Gauthier simply walking away.

In the back of his mind, Gauthier must see his team as one that is growing. One that has a young franchise goaltender and a young franchise defenceman – both of whom will need new contracts next summer – to go with two key defencemen returning from injuries and an established core at forward. Ultimately, in light of this makeup, Gauthier may not feel all that desperate to add to this group, choosing instead to allow it to grow naturally.

But the group is also highly susceptible to injury in the sense that one to a key player would be devastating due to a shallow talent pool. If a top six forward goes down, who steps in? Same goes for the defence.

Adding a player or two Friday that could mitigate that risk, considering what the team went through this past season, may not be a bad idea.