The Montreal Canadiens and general manager (GM) Kent Hughes continue to rebuild and currently have the second-youngest team in the NHL on average. Despite that lack of experience, they are in the playoff mix. A team needs more than just talented young players, they need veterans who can insulate them from having to play bigger roles, but more importantly, can mentor them, allowing them to learn by example.
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The longer it takes to have the younger players learn what it takes to succeed, to know what it feels like to win, the longer it will take to get to the team’s goal to contend. Players like Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield were supported by quality veterans in their first seasons, and they tasted playoff success early in their careers, which helped build confidence. Something they earned in that Stanley Cup Final run in 2021 which can be seen as they strive towards personal and team goals this season. That type of support could help to speed up the rebuilding process.
Canadiens Management Plans
Canadiens executive vice president Jeff Gorton was a guest on The Eye Test with Pierre McGuire and Jimmy Murphy. While there he dropped a hint at the Canadiens’ plans at the trade deadline stating, “We’re looking at adding.” It’s not an accident that he made that announcement on a podcast for the world to see. It was a calculated move as it added pressure onto the trade market. To signal they’re open for business? Sure, but it could also be to get prices higher for their unrestricted free agents (UFA) on the market.
Some fans may have expected another year as a guaranteed seller, and if Montreal had continued its streak of poor outcomes as it had back in October, that could have been the case. Instead, they are in the mix. So, the question is, why sell anyone at this point? To add more middle-round draft picks or lower-tier prospects? Why? Hughes has 11 picks in the top three rounds over the 2025 and 2026 NHL Entry Drafts but also over 20 unsigned prospects. Not all of those players will make it, and fewer of those will play for Montreal. Hughes is swimming in futures already. Selling could be sending the wrong message to the group. They aren’t necessarily going to add, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t. To help the young players make a longer run, to learn what it will take to make the playoffs, it would benefit Montreal to add. They don’t need to add massive pieces, but just a few, small, additional bricks to fill gaps in their wall.
Look at the impact a trade like the one that brought in Alexandre Carrier has had on the team. He isn’t a superstar, he is simply a solid, reliable defenceman who can defend well and move the puck up ice quickly. He isn’t a big bruising player, but he is effective one-on-one, and his style of play fits in perfectly with the team’s overall style. More importantly, his arrival allowed for head coach Martin St. Louis to balance out his defensive pairings. It allowed young defenders like Kaiden Guhle and Arber Xhekaj to be placed into the proper roles and pairings while also providing each a solid veteran defender to mentor them. This led to immediate dividends that helped to propel Montreal into a playoff race.
Canadiens Go Shopping
On a recent episode of Habs Unfiltered, Spector’s Hockey discussed the Canadiens being buyers and adding another centre. Chicago Blackhawks’ centre, Ryan Donato, is in the second and final year of a two-year deal he signed with the Blackhawks making him a UFA in July and would be an affordable rental with a salary of $2 million. With Donato’s addition to the lineup, Montreal could add a gritty forward, who was the Blackhawks’ leading goal scorer. He could also become a mid-term solution to replacing Christian Dvorak while buying Owen Beck and Oliver Kapanen more time to fully develop.
This season, he’s scored 15 goals and 29 points in 48 games for the Blackhawks, putting him two points behind his career-high of 31. Also, it places him second on the team in goals, one ahead of Connor Bedard. Despite being on a rebuilding club, Donato has impressed this season, demonstrating his effectiveness offensively despite limited opportunities. A third-round pick was enough for Chicago to trade Taylor Hall and eat 50% of Mikko Rantanen’s salary in a three-way deal with the Carolina Hurricanes, so a third is likely more than acceptable for Donato. And with Montreal holding three third-round picks in 2025, it’s more than affordable to add depth scoring and at centre.
Sean Kuraly of the Columbus Blue Jackets is another possible target. A left-handed centre, which the Canadiens need, is a more defensively oriented centre than Donato. Kuraly adds size and physicality to the bottom six as a whole while adding nine NHL seasons of experience including significant time in the playoffs. He can also add significantly to the team’s penalty-killing units. For Montreal, who is the third most penalized team in the NHL this season, the PK is essential for them to have any success. Like Donato, Kuraly and his $2.5 million expiring contract wouldn’t be overly expensive to bring in; a third-round pick or a lower-tier prospect is likely acceptable for Columbus to part ways with him at the deadline.
By becoming “small b” buyers, management shows faith in their young group. That boost of confidence and some savvy veteran play could help extend the Canadiens’ season while also giving the young players in the organization the mentorship needed to reach the next level of their development sooner.
