Which players could get eight-year contracts before the Sept. 16 deadline? Will the Canadiens move on from Samuel Montembeault? Find out in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Pittsburgh Penguins’ signing Ville Koivunen to an eight-year contract extension prompted Eric Cruickshank to ponder which NHL players could also get eight-year deals before the Sept. 16 deadline.

On that date, the maximum term for teams re-signing players drops to seven years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The maximum term for signing unrestricted free agents will also drop on that date from seven years to six.

Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli (NHL Images).

Cruickshank listed five players who could get eight-year deals before Sept. 16, with Adam Fantilli of the Columbus Blue Jackets topping his list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets would probably love to get the 21-year-old Fantilli under contract for eight seasons. He’s their first-line center and will play a critical role in the club’s development.

Fantilli could prefer a shorter term closer to five years at an average annual value of around $15 million. That will ensure he gets a chance at a more lucrative deal while still in his prime.

Detroit Red Wings forward Marco Kasper, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Conor Geekie, Edmonton Oilers prospect Matthew Savoie, and Montreal Canadiens winger Zachary Bolduc could also become candidates for eight-year contracts.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those players would fall under the same category as Koivunen of the Penguins.

Eyebrows were raised when the Penguins signed him to such a lengthy term despite his limited NHL experience. However, general manager Kyle Dubas justified it by saying they were betting on him developing into a top-six forward.

The same principle could apply to Kasper, Geekie, Savoie, and Bolduc. Whether their respective teams are willing to make those gambles remains to be seen.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Brendan Kelly believes the Canadiens must move on from Samuel Montembeault and trade him as soon as possible.

Montembeault, 29, is in the final season of his contract with a cap hit of $3.15 million. His struggles last season cost him the starter’s job to Jakub Dobes, and he was relegated to third-stringer behind promising Jacob Fowler.

Kelly noted that the Canadiens stubbornly stuck with Montembeault, hoping he’d be able to regain his form. He believes they cannot make the same mistake this season, insisting that they try to trade him to another club and stick with the young tandem of Dobes and Fowler.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was assumed the Canadiens would trade or buy out Montembeault this summer. The buyout period has passed, and if they were peddling him, it appears that there weren’t any takers.

Montembeault’s struggles last season hurt his value in the trade market. They’ll have to give him some playing time and hope he does well enough to become enticing to another team. Until they can find a suitable trade partner for him, they might have to send the promising Fowler to their AHL affiliate to ensure the 22-year-old gets sufficient playing time.

Failing that, the Canadiens could keep Dobes and Fowler as their tandem and send Montembeault to the minors. It’ll free up a bit of extra cap space for them ($1.225 million) while providing him with more time and less pressure to work on his game.