The Montreal Canadiens have missed the playoffs in the past two seasons but could break that trend by 2025-26. General manager Kent Hughes arrived last January and systematically changed the team’s look and culture, and the vision is becoming clearer every day. While the on-ice results have fallen short, Canadiens fans are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel with smart acquisitions via trade and a solid drafting plan.
In two years, the Canadiens have brought in forwards Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook, while the coaching staff — headed by Martin St. Louis — have helped future stars Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield blossom. The culture change welcomed a healthy vision of a younger, faster, and hungrier Habs team. Through the draft, Hughes continues to build from the crease out, increasing the team’s stock of goaltenders and bringing in a potential top-pairing defenseman in David Reinbacher (selected fifth overall in 2023).
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A playoff berth may be on the horizon as soon as two years from now. The Canadiens have done what many teams struggle to do; signing their core to good, long-term contracts and bringing in low-risk, high-reward players via trade. The next two offseasons will determine whether Montreal rises to contender status or remains at the bottom of the league.
Canadiens Contract Situation in the Next Three Years
The Canadiens have 15 forwards, eight defensemen, and two goaltenders under contract for the 2023-24 season, leaving room for competition to battle for NHL time. Omitting the prospect pipeline, the team will have five unrestricted free agents and two restricted free agents next offseason. That number will increase significantly the following year, leaving the Canadiens with just seven players under contract: Suzuki, Caufield, Dach, Newhook, Brendan Gallagher, Josh Anderson, and Mike Matheson.
With only seven players signed, barring any changes between now and then, the Canadiens will have many spots to fill and a lot of cap space to play with. They’ll have a pinch of over $15 million to play with next offseason and almost three times that amount in two years, and that does not include Carey Price’s long-term injury reserve status. They’ll have their young core on defense to retain, as Jordan Harris, Justin Barron, and Kaiden Guhle will all be looking for new deals, and their prospect pipeline may boast some talent ready to take on an NHL role by then.
By 2025-26, a 32-year-old Matheson could be the old man on a very young and skilled defensive core, as David Savard and Chris Wideman will likely have departed. The steam’s future between the pipes will also be in the air, as a decision will need to be made with no goaltenders signed to that point. Fortunately, when there is no answer in the depth chart, there’s always free agency to help push the rebuild forward.
Free Agency Can Bolster Canadiens’ Lineup
If this offseason’s free agency frenzy felt lacklustre, it’s because there was a lack of high-end players available, and the salary cap only went up by $1 million. The Canadiens were wise to stay the course and not reach out to the big names on the market, but with the cap estimated to jump by $4 million next offseason, the Canadiens could effectively target a piece or two to jumpstart their process.
As of now, next season’s pool contains many notable names who could help bolster Montreal’s talent up front, including Pittsburgh Penguins’ forward Jake Guentzel. A two-time 40-goal scorer and two-time Stanley Cup Champion, Guentzel fits Montreal’s mould of speed and skill. He could fetch a ransom after coming off a deal that paid him $6 million per season, but his ability will more than justify the cost. It will depend on how much Hughes is willing to spend and whether he wishes to sign another player to a lucrative deal, joining Caufield and Suzuki atop that list.
The Canadiens will have two more seasons of Jake Allen and Cayden Primeau in net and one more year with Samuel Montembeault, leaving uncertainty about the team’s future between the pipes. Connor Hellebuyck is the biggest name looking for a new deal next offseason, but the pool for goaltending appears deeper the following year when Igor Shesterkin, Juuse Saros, and Linus Ullmark could all hit the market. By then, the Canadiens should know where they’re heading and how open their playoff window is.