With the acquisition of Alex Newhook and the re-signing of Sean Monahan, the Montreal Canadiens have solidified their center position for this upcoming season. They have so many centers now that at least one will have to play on the wing for most of the season if the team remains relatively healthy. General manager (GM) Kent Hughes has set this team up well to have good depth down the center, which we all know is part of the championship recipe to succeed. He can also trade a center to improve the team in other areas. But either way you look at it, Montreal is no longer in need of centers.
Newhook and Monahan Add Center Depth
When Hughes re-signed Monahan, it was a surprise considering the low annual average value (AAV) he signed for: $1.9 million. Still, with a season of injuries, Monahan needs to prove himself for a big contract. When he did play last season, he played well, scoring 17 points in 25 games and providing the Habs with a solid second-line center.
His injury, however, opened the door for Kirby Dach to get more playing time at the center position. Dach, who is a center, was playing wing on the top line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield and was a big reason that line was, at one point, one of the best in the league. Dach still proved in his time at center that he could fit the role and excel at the position, even though he struggled with faceoffs.
Now that Monahan is re-signed, it gives the Canadiens the opportunity to have him work with Dach to help improve Dach’s game to become a better center. They could also play Monahan on Dach’s wing for faceoff insurance as Dach hopefully improves through the season.
Trading for Alex Newhook just before the draft was also a center-depth move. Newhook was buried in the Colorado Avalanche lineup and could not get significant time at center. Montreal hopes that with Newhook on their rebuilding team, they can provide more minutes for him and use the former first-round draft pick’s two-way game. The only issue with this is where he can get top-six minutes and play at center in Montreal.
With Suzuki, Dach and Monahan all probably getting center time in the top six, it is more than likely that Newhook plays wing more than center unless injuries happen. Even if Monahan plays third-line center, Newhook probably won’t take any center time away from Dach or Suzuki. However, this still gives the Habs an edge because they will always have two centers on both of their top two lines.
Dvorak and Evans Round Out the Bottom Six
With the top two lines having two centers each, the Canadiens still have capable centers on the two bottom lines: Christian Dvorak and Jake Evans. Both have two-way solid games and are excellent penalty killers (PK) for Montreal. Dvorak can also move up and down the lineup as needed filling in for injuries in the top six, while Evans can also play third-line center and use his speed to help create offence on the bottom six. With six quality centers in the lineup, the Canadiens should have no problem at the center position this upcoming season.
Related: Canadiens Have 4 Interesting Positional Battles in Top-6
Dvorak will be injured to start the season, so either Monahan or Dach could be the third-line center to begin. The Canadiens could even go with Newhook there, but that won’t fit their intent of having him play more minutes. Montreal also has some young players that could challenge for a spot on the roster in Owen Beck and Filip Mesar.
Beck played one game last season, and Mesar was a first-round draft pick in the 2022 draft held in Montreal. But unless Beck makes the Habs, he must play in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Peterborough Petes. Mesar should start the season with the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League (AHL) and be a top-six center there. For either of these guys to earn a spot in Montreal, they would have to play lights out in training camp and preseason games, which is unlikely.
Canadiens Can Trade From a Position of Strength
With an abundance centers, the Canadiens can now trade players from a position of strength. Monahan was re-signed on a one-year deal and will most likely be moved at the trade deadline if he is healthy. If Dach gets regular minutes at center, then this is an easy move, and the GM won’t have to worry about losing strength at the center position when he makes that trade, making Monahan not only valuable at the deadline but expendable as well. If Monahan has a similar season as last year but plays more games, he could fetch the Habs a first-round pick and give them more options at next season’s draft.
Dvorak is an interesting case for the Canadiens; he has two seasons left at $4.45 million AAV and is still good enough to get a decent return in a trade. He is excellent on the PK and can fill in on the power play if needed. He has a fantastic two-way game and fits nicely in a third-line role. If the Canadiens can find a team that can use center depth, they could move Dvorak before Christmas, freeing up a center spot and having both Monahan and Dach play center full-time.
It would also allow them to free up another $4.45 million next season when they will have over $15 million in cap space and a decent free-agent pool. Montreal also needs to free up space for young players to be on the roster; even with Mike Hoffman now gone, they still need at least one more forward spot so Rafael Harvey-Pinard or Juraj Slafkovsky have a permanent place with the Habs.
Dvorak could be harder to move based on his AAV, but a team like the Boston Bruins, who lost their top two centers this offseason to retirement, may be willing to acquire him for much-needed depth. If both Dvorak and Monahan get moved, it opens a spot for Dach and Newhook to play center. If the Canadiens would rather keep Newhook on the wing to stay in the top six, expect someone like Lias Andersson to replace Dvorak on the third line unless Mesar is killing it in Laval.
For a long time, the Canadiens didn’t have any center depth. Now, they have at least two potential top-line centers in Dach and Suzuki. Suzuki has proven he belongs as Montreal’s top center, but Dach could push him for that spot, and that’s an excellent problem to have.
