Montreal Canadiens general manager (GM) Kent Hughes has a very difficult mandate to return the franchise to its historical position as a Stanley Cup contender, a role it hasn’t held for many years. The team he inherited needed a complete rebuild, and after two full years at the helm, he has done quite a bit of restructuring, but there is still a laundry list of items remaining.
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Some benchmarks will point to the Canadiens blossoming into a contender. Some are yet to be met, and the largest is the final one – for Montreal to be seen as a destination. Are they a team that players want to go to without the need for an all-out charm offensive to sell them on signing with the Canadiens? Is Hughes on the right path toward making Montreal a coveted place for unrestricted free agents (UFA)?
Canadiens Next Steps
The Canadiens have reportedly informed their colleagues that they’re not looking for lateral deals and will be looking to make clear upgrades at positions of need. Hughes is shopping for some veteran help in the form of a forward with some size and grit and a top-four right-handed defenseman.
Montreal has some of these assets, but players like Logan Mailloux, who fit the description skill-wise, are all still in the American Hockey League. However, even if Hughes can fill one or both needs, there is no real hope of turning the team into a playoff contender this season. Even if they did make it, the likelihood of the team finishing in the middle of the pack would mean a middle-of-the-pack pick, and because they aren’t adding elite skill, they would remain in that middle, where they’ve been for most of the 21st century.
This was the issue before the rebuild. Fans remember former GM Marc Bergevin saying that anything can happen in the playoffs once they’re there. While the 2021 Cup run was exciting, it was built on luck and the roster playing their best hockey at the right moment. Yet, even that wasn’t enough to win a championship.
Right now, the Canadiens must overcome significant challenges before they can even dream of a playoff berth. It is clear that developmentally, the club isn’t quite ready, and more importantly, that management must tread very carefully to avoid making reckless decisions that will slow the rebuild. It will be especially important to keep an eye on the long view, which is what Hughes seems to be focused on.
Once Patrik Laine returns from injury, there will be some calls for immediate support that will need to be managed by Hughes. He may not be the 40-goal threat of his first few seasons, but he does add scoring depth to a team in desperate need of it. Even if, by some miracle, he scores 40, it won’t solve the team’s defensive issues, nor would it instantly make the team a contender. Management is in a dangerous moment of the rebuild, where they could be tempted to rush the process. Yet, for now, management is saying they will remain patient, even if some fans aren’t.
Selling Montreal as a Destination
On an episode of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman noted that the team’s weak start to the season is one reason why Montreal is not a destination for UFAs yet. They are building toward it, but it will take more time.
Montreal’s rebuild has often been compared to the New York Rangers’ because both teams had similar assets when they entered the rebuild and because Canadiens executive vice president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton was the Rangers’ GM when the rebuild started in Manhattan. Their rebuild is now complete after landing significant core pieces via the draft, but they were also able to attract one of the biggest names to enter free agency, Artemi Panarin. Something that allowed them to end their rebuild earlier than expected. It’s unlikely that Montreal will have that big-name player fall into their laps because they aren’t the destination that Manhattan is.
Right now, the Canadiens are focusing on building from within, drafting, and developing. They have accumulated substantial draft capital and prospects over the last few seasons, but they have not developed or been traded for top-tier NHL assets yet. Right now, we are seeing a group of young players struggling to adjust to new roles and responsibilities, to new systems and new expectations. No rebuild is a direct line upwards. There are always setbacks. But it does mean the Canadiens are not a top-tier destination yet, at least, not one capable of instantly attracting a top UFA like Sam Bennett might be this summer.
Instead, the team is struggling – struggles they can overcome with the help of coaches, time for chemistry to build between players, and time for players to develop. A team is expected to struggle in a rebuild, while for some fans, it’s taking too long, or they’ll never become a contender. All it means right now is that the Canadiens still have a long way to go, which is normal. What the team does have, however, are high-quality prospects beginning to make their mark.
But to attract UFAs, Montreal needs to ensure that their prospects not only develop with the team but sign with them long-term as well. Prospects could wait to sign their entry-level contracts until Montreal loses their rights or demand trades, but that would slow any rebuild to a grinding halt. Talent attracts talent. In an interview with RG.org, Ivan Demidov spoke highly of Lane Hutson, saying, “I really like Lane Hutson. He is playing brilliantly.”
Players are watching, they are judging, and they are looking out for their best interests. Playing with other highly skilled players helps, as does adding more top prospects. UFAs want to join good teams with exciting players who can help them win, put up larger numbers, and make it fun to play. But there is more to it than the lineup. There is the city. Is it good for families, is it a small or big market? What is the taxation level? The involvement of the media and fanbase? Is the franchise new and exciting, or iconic?
While these are real issues, they are not the foundation for the team to become a destination. To get to that stage, the organization has to build a foundation, which is to get the team to a point where they are competitive and their young players are close to reaching their potential. Once that happens, veteran UFAs will see where they fit, see that their chances to win have improved and look to Montreal as a destination.
The Canadiens are in a pivotal moment in the rebuild arc that requires patience as they build a competitive team from the ground up. Their path to becoming a destination for free agents hinges on the development of their youth and careful management decisions in the coming months.
