The Montreal Canadiens were very active in the days leading up to the 2025 NHL Draft, making several moves to trade up, but also to add a top-pair right-handed defenceman in Noah Dobson. General manager Kent Hughes followed up that solid week of work by making a deal to bring in Zachary Bolduc in a trade after the unrestricted free agency (UFA) season opened.
Related: Montreal Canadiens Avoid Weak Free Agent Class to Fill Needs
With the exception of making some depth signings, the Canadiens haven’t been very active in free agency. Hughes hasn’t signed anyone who can address the team’s most glaring need, a top-six center. With the roster constructed as it is, the time to “overpay” for that player may be now.
Canadiens’ Centre Issues
Currently, the only proven, true top-six centre with the Canadiens is Nick Suzuki. With players like Owen Beck and Michael Hage in the system, fans are hoping to see these two solidify the centre line in Montreal in the middle six behind Suzuki, but that will take at least one more season. Sure, there is some hope that Kirby Dach can become healthy, find his rhythm and finally get close to his potential. If he did, it would fill that glaring need at centre. However, that is unlikely to occur. Instead, it is more likely that he will struggle to find consistency, and while he could be a very useful, even productive player, it is more likely to be as a winger, or on a third line.
The next option in Montreal is Alex Newhook. His faceoff numbers and advanced statistics leave something to be desired, but the eye test made it clear that he was snake-bitten, missing opportunities despite being able to generate chances and find his way to high-danger zones. Perhaps the addition of a sublimely skilled winger like Ivan Demidov would change the outcomes for him or Dach. The 19-year-old has received high praise as former Canadiens forward Ilya Kovalchuk explained how Demidov has what it takes to succeed in Montreal, telling RG.org in an exclusive interview that,
“Montreal loves stars who aren’t afraid to show themselves. Some players are shy or afraid to look arrogant, but not there. You need confidence. Ivan has that.”
– Ilya Kovalchuk
But, relying on a rookie with only two regular-season NHL games under his belt to carry the load offensively for an entire top-six line is asking far too much, even of the young Russian phenom.
Canadiens Not Standing Still
One look at the UFA market, and it is obvious there are no answers that can be found out there for Montreal for a proven top-six centre. The only left-handed centre that could be of any help is Montreal native Joe Veleno. Last season with the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks, he only won 46.5% of his faceoffs, all while averaging only 13 minutes per game in time on ice. His 10 goals and 22 points aren’t that encouraging either. However, he could be a stopgap measure, but not one that would be a better option than Dach or Newhook.
For now, the better option for Hughes is to avoid the UFA market altogether. Especially as there is already a significant upgrade offensively for the 2025-26 season in the middle six of the forward group with the arrival of Demidov and Bolduc. Hughes has avoided rushing the rebuild, instead allowing a natural progression with the players to occur, which in turn has led to improved outcomes in the standings. Waiting for their own prospects to mature and graduate to the NHL is the likeliest and safest option. Even with the additional pressure to earn a playoff berth for a second consecutive season, Montreal seems content to let the players on hand at least start the season and see how they fare.
Canadiens Can Overpay
Montreal made the playoffs for the first time since 2021 when they made it to the Stanley Cup Final. But they hadn’t earned a playoff berth outside of any changes to divisions or playoff formats since the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2016-17 season. This edition of the Canadiens earned their berth in the final game of their season, earning a meeting with the Eastern Conference leaders, the Washington Capitals. What the 2025 Playoff series against the Capitals demonstrated is that size does make a difference. But size alone is not enough. They also need speed, an ability to play with pace, and a mean streak to find success.
Montreal could be more aggressive and force its way into the conversation as a dark horse contender. They have a vastly improved defensive corps and a young core group of forwards that are expected to be very productive. This provides them a very solid base to add to, as they are also one of the youngest rosters in the NHL. Hughes could try and use an offer sheet to fill their need at centre. One player that could be a target is the Anaheim Ducks’ Mason McTavish.
It would be very difficult to pry the very talented 21-year-old centre away from California. The third overall pick in 2021 has all the qualities Hughes is desperate to add. He’s big (6-foot-1 and 219 pounds), he’s got proven offensive skills, he can play a physical style, he has an excellent work ethic and loves to go to the net, he’s responsible in his zone, and the left-shot centre wins over 50% of his faceoffs. This makes him valuable to the Ducks as well, and with the Ducks having almost $29 million in cap space, it would take an offer sheet of close to $10 million per season, which would be a significant number of draft picks, but still, perhaps not enough. However, with McTavish not filing for arbitration, it does leave him open to an offer sheet.
The only hope for Hughes would be if McTavish himself is not as happy with his situation and believes that he has lost importance in the Ducks’ lineup with the emergence of Leo Carlsson, the addition of Mikhail Granlund and the eventual arrival of Beckett Sennecke and Roger McQueen. Elliotte Friedman stated in his final 32 Thoughts episode of the season that Hughes was clearly the most active and aggressive GM since the start of the offseason. He still has several draft picks, a deep prospect pool and even some roster players that could be of interest to GM Pat Verbeek, whose stated goal is to make the playoffs in 2025-26 and end the NHL’s third-longest playoff drought.
So, the cost for someone like McTavish would be very high, and not just in futures. Sure, a young NHL-ready prospect, maybe Beck and picks, would be in the package, but an NHL player that can make an immediate impact at both ends would also be necessary, and Montreal’s top asset that is no longer in the long-term plans is Mike Matheson. The 31-year-old left-handed shot is entering the final year of an eight-year contract that pays him an annual average of $4.875 million. In his first two seasons with the Canadiens, he was the top-pairing offensive catalyst for the club. He quarterbacked the top power-play unit, played the most minutes on average each game, and was relied upon to launch the team’s transitional offence nightly.
However, this past season, Matheson’s role changed. With the emergence of Lane Hutson, his role became more defensive. He was able to take on a penalty-killing role; he was second on the team in blocked shots, with only the now-retired David Savard blocking more shots on the team. For a team like Anaheim, this could be a major improvement in their top four as Matheson can play either the left or right side, and his arrival would push Radko Gudas down to a bottom pairing role where he would be far more effective.
Yes, Hughes made a blockbuster trade for a top-pair defenceman and added a scoring forward. However, while fans may be clamouring for another playoff appearance, Canadiens management has not strayed from their rebuild plan and is still playing the long game, remaining patient. Hughes will continue to work the phones and make upgrades, but only if a deal makes sense and fits into the team’s goal of building a long-term contender. But the time to overpay for that missing asset may be now.
