ROCKET SPORTS MEDIA | MONTREAL, QC. — Since their arrival, the new management team of the Montreal Canadiens have been busy understanding the deficiencies of the organization and making changes. The retooling of the roster began at the trade deadline, got a big boost at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft and continued with recent signings and several significant trades.
At the draft, Habs management grabbed fans’ attention by drafting 6-foot-3-inch, 218-pound left-winger Juraj Slafkovsky first overall. It was a decision that was not finalized until the last minute with debate continuing until the morning of the draft. Only time will tell if the correct pick was made.
Part two of the ‘draft splash’ involved trading away Canadiens defenceman Alexander Romanov and a fourth round pick to the New York Islanders for the number 13 pick overall. The Canadiens then flipped that first round pick and added a third rounder to the Chicago Blackhawks for center Kirby Dach. The 21-year-old was a third overall pick in 2019 but has struggled to achieve his potential.
The 6-foot-4-inch Dach has recorded 19 goals, 40 assists for 59 points in 152 NHL games. Dach was a promising young center who suffered a wrist injury in December 2020 at the World Junior tournament. While reportedly fully recovered for the 2021-22 NHL season, he had a disappointing season for the ‘Hawks with just nine goals and 17 assists in 70 games.
While gifted with good size, Dach has not used it to his advantage often enough and has a tendency to avoid traffic. His defensive contributions were strong in Chicago as Dach was deployed against top opposition forwards. The Canadiens will hope to unleash his complete game to help him become the player many believed he could be in his draft year.
Off-season Roster Changes
Two other significant trades, one before the draft and one after, have reshaped the roster in an impactful way. On June 16th, the Canadiens traded the contract of defenseman Shea Weber to the Vegas Golden Knights in return for forward Evgenii Dadonov.
Exactly one month later, on July 16th, defenceman Jeff Petry and forward Ryan Poehling were traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins for defenceman Mike Matheson and a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
To examine the changes in detail, here are the additions, re-signings and subtractions the Habs have made so far this off-season.
Additions / Re-signings
Madison Bowey (RD) – signed a one-year, two-way contract.
Kirby Dach (C) – acquired via trade from CHI.
Evgenii Dadonov (LW/RW) – acquired via trade from VGK.
Otto Leskinen (LD) – signed a one-year, two-way contract.
Mike Matheson (LD) – acquired via trade from PIT.
Filip Mesar (C) – drafted 26th overall (2022); signed to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Samuel Montembeault (G) – signed a two-year, one-way contract extension.
Michael Pezzetta (LW/C) – signed a one-year, one-way contract.
Rem Pitlick (C/RW) – signed a two-year, one-way contract extension.
Anthony Richard (C/LW) – signed a one-year, two-way contract.
Cory Schueneman (LD) – signed a one-year, two-way contract.
Juraj Slafkovsky (LW) – drafted 1st overall (2022); signed to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Mitchell Stephens (C) – signed a one-year, two-way contract.
Chris Wideman (RD) – signed a two-year, one-way contract extension.
Subtractions
Josh Brook (RD) – not tendered qualifying offer.
Kale Clague (LD) – not tendered qualifying offer.
Sami Niku (LD) – unrestricted free agent.
Cedric Paquette (C) – unrestricted free agent.
Mathieu Perreault (C) – unrestricted free agent.
Jeff Petry (RD) – traded to PIT.
Tyler Pitlick (C/RW) – unrestricted free agent.
Ryan Poehling (C) – traded to PIT.
Alexander Romanov (LD)– traded to NYI.
Lukas Vejdemo (C) – unrestricted free agent.
Shea Weber (RD) – traded to VGK.
Unsigned
Kirby Dach (C) – restricted free agent.
Cayden Primeau (G) – restricted free agent.
As the roster currently stands, there are few spots open. Will Kent Hughes try to acquire a right-shot defenseman? Will the Canadiens general manager free up more cap space? Are further moves imminent this off-season?
Goaltending Situation
So far the Canadiens have Carey Price, Jake Allen and Sam Montembeault signed to NHL contracts for the upcoming season. Montreal has tendered a qualifying offer to restricted free agent Cayden Primeau but he is not yet signed. It is expected that Primeau will get the lion’s share of the starts for the Rocket.
Veteran Kevin Poulin was signed to a one-year, one-way AHL contract to act as a backup in Laval. Prospect Joe Vrbetic and Philippe Desrosiers are on two-way AHL contracts and will likely be assigned to Trois-Rivieres of the ECHL.
Sorting Out the Crease
Social media was abuzz when Sam Montembeault signed a two-year, one-way contract extension. What did it mean for Carey Price’s recovery? Was Jake Allen being traded?
The short answer appears to be that Montembeault is an insurance policy and is a commodity known to the Canadiens who signed at a reasonable salary.
Montembeault suited up for 38 games for the Habs last season finishing with eight wins, 24 losses and had a goals against average of 3.77 and a save percentage of .891. In the more-telling statistic of goals saved above average, Montembeault ranked 68 of 70 goaltenders in the NHL.
Perhaps it is worth pointing out this was Montembeault’s first real test in the NHL after only playing a combined 25 games in the NHL from 2017-2021. During that time, the 25-year-old played 104 games in the AHL with a record of 39-65.
The Habs are hoping to have Price back between the pipes but uncertainty remains regarding when his knee will be able to stand up to the rigors of NHL goaltending. Former Canadiens goaltending coach Stephane Waite expects Price to be ready to go for training camp but there are no guarantees.
Allen is in his last year of his contract and the Canadiens perhaps were hoping to capitalize on a hot off-season goalie market. Hughes reportedly had been fielding offers from general managers for the reliable backup. But as the summer goalie carousel slows down, it appears that the Canadiens will wait for more definitive word on Price before dealing away Allen, the soon-to-be 32-year-old.
Allen’s value is higher to the Habs now than what they would receive in trade. But come the trade deadline, contending teams may wish to add to their goaltending depth.
Cap Space Opportunities
Kent Hughes signaled his intention to create greater cap flexibility this summer and so far hasn’t been able to reach his goal. Hughes has mostly resisted the urge to use high-level prospects or future draft picks to facilitate a trade of a veteran. Will Hughes wait to claim cap space at the end of this season with Evgenii Dadonov, Paul Byron, Jake Allen and Jonathan Drouin in the final year of their contracts or will he try to accelerate the process?
Here are my thoughts on a few trade candidates.
Brendan Gallagher
Gallagher will be entering his 11th NHL season and is signed for five years at $6.5 million. He was rewarded with a generous contract for his leadership, determination and production. Unfortunately, Gallagher has not only failed to stay healthy but his offensive touch has been missing the last few seasons.
Gallagher is still a fan favorite and a big part of leadership in the Habs dressing room but it is difficult to justify his contract as the second-highest paid skater on the team. It is highly unlikely he is moved as Gallagher needs to prove not only that he can still be productive play in today’s NHL and that he can stay healthy.
Joel Armia
Armia is one of the most under-utilized players in the NHL. He showed at this past World Championship what he can do when given an opportunity. Consistency has been the issue for Armia his whole career, often leaving people wanting more. Armia can have dominating shifts where no one can knock him off the puck then become invisible on the following shift.
The 29-year-old has three years left on a $3.4 million contract. The Habs would be wise to find a trading partner if they are not willing to give Armia a permanent top-six role. If the Habs do move Armia, they won’t get much more than a mid-round pick for him but the cap relief is enough to be happy with the return.
Mike Hoffman
Hoffman has a release in the NHL that few players do, allowing him to beat a goalie clean from point blank or distance. But that is usually where the conversation ends about Hoffman. His defensive ineptitude have often made him a liability.
At $4.5 million for two more seasons, the Habs can afford to try to move him for a small return or hold on to him in hopes for a larger return at the deadline. Being reunited with former Panthers teammate Evgenii Dadonov could spark Hoffman as the two had great chemistry in the past.
Christian Dvorak
The loss of Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Phillip Danault in last year’s off-season was supposed to be easier to handle with the acquisition of Dvorak. It did not go exactly that way.
Dvorak had an injury plagued season and missed several weeks due to the pandemic. That said Dvorak reached a career high in points per game while being the Habs best faceoff taker.
With the acquisition of Kirby Dach, many believe Dvorak’s time in Montreal is over but with three years left at just shy of $4.5 million not too many teams are willing to pay the price to take on his salary. Dvorak is 26 years of age which hopefully means that a breakout season is possible.
Josh Anderson
Hughes has been receiving calls on the skilled, but inconsistent Anderson. Given the opportunity to move a 28-year-old signed at $5.5 million for five more years is obviously tempting for the Canadiens as they try to shed salary. Hughes has shown his more than willing to be patient when making deals.
Anderson can be a big impact player at times and is a fan favorite. In my opinion, there are other players that should be moved before Anderson although he is the type of player that other teams could overpay for, given his assets.
Carey Price
A Carey Price trade would shock the hockey world and is improbable. Firstly, Price has a no-move clause which gives him full control. Price has stated on multiple occasions that he wants to win a Stanley Cup as a Canadien.
Secondly, Price would have to be 100 percent healthy which certainly won’t be known much before the season begins, if then. Thirdly, the Habs would have to retain a portion of his salary which Hughes has been very reluctant to do for any transaction. And fourth, there is a limited market of Cup contenders who would be interested in his services.
Paul Byron
Byron suited up for just 27 games last season after undergoing hip surgery in July 2021. The 33-year-old managed to record just seven points. After another off-season procedure, there is a good chance that Byron will not be ready to start the new season on time.
The alternate captain is in his final year of a four-year $3.4 million dollar contract that he has struggled to live up to after losing his spot in the lineup due to his injuries. The Habs are likely to hold on to him until the deadline in hopes he returns to the 30-40 point depth forward that would fetch a decent return. Montreal is committed to rebuilding and the Habs have an abundance of depth wingers making him expendable.
Jonathan Drouin
The Drouin for Mikhail Sergachev trade was arguably the worst trade during Marc Bergevin’s tenure with the Habs. Sergachev has won two Stanley Cups in Tampa Bay and recently signed a lucrative eight-year, $8.5 million contract extension.
Drouin has never performed in Montreal and has missed numerous games over the last three seasons due to illnesses and injuries. Drouin is in the final year of a $5.5 million dollar contract. It is unlikely that another team will be willing to take a risk on Drouin unless the Habs are willing to part ways with assets, something general manager Kent Hughes has said he is unwilling to do.
The Habs will likely hang on to Drouin but he could be a trade asset at the deadline if he has a comeback season.
Evgenii Dadonov
The acquisition of Dadonov allowed the Habs to shed long-term injured reserve salary space in exchange for a versatile forward with an offensive touch on an expiring contract. Dadonov could be a lock in a top-six role where he can be showcased and flipped at the trade deadline for a quality prospect or a draft pick.
There isn’t a fit for Dadonov long-term on the roster so expect him to be moved by the 2023 trade deadline.
Jake Allen
Short and sweet, Allen will be traded some point this season. It will likely happen at the trade deadline but could be moved sooner as an injury replacement. When Allen is traded the Habs will come away with more pieces in the form of prospects and picks to help their rebuild.
If I were GM
As a very passionate fan of the Montreal Canadiens I can’t help but think what I would do if I were in Kent Hughes’ shoes. While it is tempting to move on from Carey Price and Brendan Gallagher, they are potential moves that are unrealistic at the present time.
Of the players listed in the section above, I think the Habs should be willing to move both Josh Anderson and Joel Armia. Without having to give up assets to get cap relief, I think they are the best options to be moved and would be shocked if both are with the Habs next season.
If the Habs can’t find a trade they like for either player, selling Mike Hoffman for one or two late round draft picks would be my backup plan. It won’t be easy but a team with cap space knows they will be able to flip Hoffman for more at either this or next year’s trade deadline.
In the end, I that believe Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton will make the right decisions during the rebuild and create a Habs team that fans will be proud of once again. I expect that the Montreal Canadiens will become a top team in the NHL and become a Cup contender sooner rather than later.
