The Montreal Canadiens will look to add this offseason and build around their young core that will be off to the playoffs.
Montreal will enter the offseason nearly $10 million in cap space but could get more by trading away some contracts. However, their core group of players are all signed, so $10 million is still quite a bit to add.
NHL insider and analyst Marco Dumont of Montreal Hockey News believes the Canadiens should pursue a top center in free agency. Not only does he think they should pursue a center, but he links them to Toronto Maple Leafs star centerman John Tavares.
“It’s clear the team could use some reinforcements down the middle of the ice,” Dumont wrote… “He’s no spring chicken, but Tavares is still a very good player, which much of his impact coming via his powerplay usage. He’s also a talented playmaker, which would suit a winger such as Demidov.
“But Tavares is more than just a playmaker, as evidenced by his 493 NHL goals. By adding a player of his ilk, the Habs wouldn’t just find a great center for Demidov, they’d be ensuring there’s more than just one scoring threat on the ice, which in turn, should lead to a lot of open ice for his teammates,” Dumont added.
Tavares would be a second-line center and add some playmaking ability to the Canadiens. The 34-year-old is in the final year of his seven-year, $77 million deal. With the Maple Leafs this season, he’s recorded 37 goals and 35 assists for 72 points.
Although Dumont linked Tavares to the Canadiens, it does seem unlikely he would leave his hometown team for their rival in free agency.
Canadiens Closing in on Playoff Spot
Montreal is holding onto the final Wild Card spot and can clinch a playoff spot with a regulation win on April 11.
The Canadiens haven’t made the playoffs since they made it to the Final in 2021. So, for veteran forward Brendan Gallagher, this is a long time coming.
“This group really had to earn it to get to this point,” Gallagher said…We dipped as far down as you can dip, we had some hard days, some hard practice days, but it kind of defined us. We stuck together as a group, we went through it together. Now we’re starting to reap the rewards a little bit. It’s always important to keep in the back of your mind what you went through. That’s what makes you who you are. As a group, it’s hopefully what makes us a special group.”
Although the first goal was the playoffs, the next goal now becomes causing some damage and going on a Cup run.
Canadiens Sign Uber Prospect Ivan Demidov
Montreal also got big news ahead of their playoff push as their top prospect, Ivan Demidov, left Russia and the KHL to sign with the Canadiens.
Demidov will immediately play in a top-six role and be an important offensive player for them. Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes, however, doesn’t want to put too much expectations on the forward.
“We don’t want to put too much expectations on (Demidov), we’re talking about a 19-year-old kid travelling across the world to come play,” Hughes told TSN. “Hopefully, he gets a game in or two before playoffs, if we are able to make them, and we’ll see how he fits in. We’ll play it by ear.”
Demidov could make his NHL debut on April 11.
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Insider Links Canadiens to Signing $77 Million Star Center From Rival